Repeated Curve
by ianna28
Summary: SEQUEL TO SACRED CURVE. History is doomed to repeat itself. Even if they did learn from their mistakes the first time. Because teenage drama wasn't enough for the team to deal with, Tony and Loki will find themselves too overwhelmed this time around. And their enemies will take advantage of that. Tony/Loki slash, MPREG, language, Mythology AU, Language
1. Chapter 1

**A****/N: I had fun with this chapter,, I'm not going to lie. But hey! Another Curve, this time including teenage angst! Let's have fun, yeah? *evil grin***  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"Chris!" Tony hissed in pain as his head slammed up into the bottom of his car at the shout. "Anders!" He then pulled himself further under the car when he heard his sons name being yelled. He wanted nothing to do with what the two teenage boys were up to.

Gabby was at some kind of teachers retreat and Steve had gotten a call for a mission. Clint had offered to go with him and Tony volunteered to let the twins stay in the Tower. Anastasia and Christopher had of course first started complaining (whining as Tony called it) that they didn't need to be babysat, that they were teenagers now. This started when they were 13. They were now 16, and Gabby and Steve claimed that it was safer to all be in the place. Steve reluctantly admitted that the Tower was safer.

Tony often forgot that Eindride was less than a year older. The boys got into trouble. A lot. Emma had decided when she was 17 that she was going to go to college out of the state, to stay away from the boys.

"Sir-"

"Shhhhh!" Tony waved his arms, shushing JARVIS. "I'm not here, I don't want to know. Plausible deniability." Tony had made sure that he was unseen under the car now. If Anya was on the hunt, the boys would try to hide in the workshop. Tony had safeguards for that.

There were two thuds into the glass door. Tony peeked between a tire to see Eindride desperately trying to put in the code. Now Tony really didn't want to know. They managed to stumble into the lab, hiding behind a worktable. Eindride had short black hair and bright amber eyes, he was tall like Loki much to Tony's disappointment. Chris looked like a Steve Rogers clone. Blonde hair, bright blue eyes, but he had Gabby slim jaw line. He was also holding a bundle of clothes.

Moving his head a little he heard footsteps and saw Anya running down the stairs, wrapped in a towel. Those were her clothes that Chris was holding. Anya had long blonde hair and Gabby's green eyes. Her and Chris were the same height, but she had Steve's facial structure. Tony's eyes widened when he caught sight of her wet and stringy hair. Wet and stringy black hair.

Steve was going to kill him.

"If you two don't give me my clothes back Right Now." Anya stood in the doorway, fists at her sides.

"It appears that Mr Barton and Mr Rogers have landed on the roof." Tony's eyes widened more.

"Good," Anya growled, and Chris's eyes widened a little. "Dad!" She took off running for the stairs.

"Ah! No!" Tony scrambled out of the car, causing the two boys to slam into the table in fright, tipping it over. Tony winced and put his hands over his face as it crashed onto Dum-E, causing him to tip over and onto another desk. "Oh my god, you both are so dead if I live." He snatched Anya's clothes from Chris and ran up the stairs.

Tony found Anya waiting by the elevator and wrapped an arm around her waist attempting to carry her back to the guest room before Steve got back. The elevator dinged and the doors opened and Tony winced.

"Dad! Finally!" Anya huffed and Tony put her down, shoving the clothes into her arms. She blinked a little but looked back over at Steve as Tony turned around. Steve's eyes were wide staring at his daughters hair. Clint was behind him covering his mouth with both hands to silence the laughter.

"What happened?" Steve looked at Tony.

"Sir, Loki has arrived with Mrs Rogers and is headed up." Tony groaned and dropped his head.

"That's it, that's how I die, and the last thing I hear will be my husband laughing at me." Tony rubbed his face.

Steve had walked over and was picking at Anya's hair, hoping that it would rub out on his fingers. It didn't. The elevator opened again and Clint moved out of the way. Tony saw Loki raise his eyebrows at him when he took in Anya's appearance. Gabby's mouth had opened a little and she looked between Tony and Anya.

"What the hell..." She walked a little closer to Anya.

"Chris and Anders stole my clothes from the bathroom when I was taking a shower, and they put honey in my conditioner, and-" Anya started ranting.

"And dyed your hair black?" Gabby asked.

"What? No, I did that." Tony threw himself into the couch. Now he was really dead. He could have gotten away with it if the boys had the cause, but no, Steve Rogers' daughter had to be going through her dark and defiant phase on his watch.

He heard footsteps trying to sneak by and glanced up a little. "Stop right there." Steve pointed towards the boys and they both stopped in mid step.

"I thought this was supposed to be the safe place?" Clint whispered to Loki. Loki groaned a little and started to rub the bridge of his nose.

Gabby had cupped her hands over her mouth and nose and was staring at Anya's hair. "Okay, first things first, go get dressed." Anya sighed and stomped back towards the guest room she had claimed. "Chris, chair, now." Chris flopped into a chair.

"Tony, please tell me my other child is in one piece, and not altered in any way." Steve looked over at the inventor. He noted that Steve hadn't taken his shield off of his arm.

"Miss Bryanna is sleeping peacefully," JARVIS informed them and Tony gestured his arms up.

"See, perfectly fine," he grinned and he head Loki sigh.

"You were supposed to be looking after the children Tony," Loki said looking over to his husband.

"I didn't know this was going to happen!" Tony sat up. "Let's be honest though, you put three teenagers in my supervision, and a six year old. I have my hands full with the littlest one alone. How was I supposed to know that she'd go goth on me."

"It's okay, I can fix this, it's okay." Tony could tell that Gabby was talking to herself at this point. "We'll just have to get some color stripper for her hair, and then-"

"No way, I used my allowance on this dye," Anya walked out the room, clothes and hair dry, displaying the full color of her black hair. It even had a blue sheen when the light hit it.

"Whoa," Chris and Eindride let out when they saw it. Anya looked over and narrowed her eyes at them. Steve wrapped his arm around her waist before she could take off after them again.

"We'll discuss it when we get home," Steve droned out and Anya looked at Chris and pointed to the elevator. He got up, giving Anya a wide berth and stood by the elevator. Gabby walked over with him.

"I'll go get the car, we'll wait for you down there." Steve nodded. Loki shrugged a little at gabby and she sighed as the elevator closed on her and Chris. Loki looked at Eindride once who took off for his room.

Steve put Anya back down. "Anya, please go get your sister." She nodded a little and went off to get her kid sister.

"Just to let you know, I was only in my workshop for like, 30 minutes," Tony got up from the couch and Steve shot him a withering look.

"Which is ironically the amount of time it takes to dye your hair and wash it," Clint added. he hissed when Loki kicked his leg.

"I left Chris and Eindride in the game room and Anya had assured me she was just going to stay in the guest room, away from the boys."

Steve rubbed his face and sighed. "It's not really your fault. She's been moody lately. I'm still not sure why."

"Oh oh, has she used the line, 'You're ruining my life!' yet?" Clint asked and Tony rolled his eyes. "That's still a popular one with teenagers, specially the girls."

"Thank the gods you don't have any children, Barton," Loki muttered.

"If you need anything for the hair," Tony motioned around his head, "just let me know. I'm sure I've got some stuff that can help."

"Yeah, thanks. I'm afraid if we pulled it out that she'd just dye it again. I'm sure it will be the highlight of our conversations tonight though." Steve looked over as Anya came back out with a tired looking girl behind her. This Rogers girl did have blonde hair like her parents, and one blue eye and one green eye.

"Hi Daddy." Bryanna yawned and took Steve's hand as Anya headed straight for the elevator.

"Hey, sweetheart. Let's go home now, yeah?" The little girl nodded.

"Bye Uncle Tony, Uncle Loki, Uncle Clint," she waved at the men as the doors closed around them.

Tony let out a groan and fell on his back on the couch again. "Emma never dyed her hair like that whens he was 16."

"Tony, your daughter already has black hair," Clint told him. "What was she supposed to do? Dye it beach blonde, aspiring to be one of those A-class snobs?"

Tony frowned and looked up. "You bring up a very good point. I think we got lucky so far." Loki walked by and slapped his head as he was leaning up.

"I'm going to talk with Eindride," Loki looked down at him. "I think that your broken lab is punishment enough for you."

"Ouch, I'm wounded babe." Loki rolled his eyes and walked off. "There are some days that I miss being a single playboy."

"No you don't," Clint snorted heading for the bar, putting in his personal code to get to the liquor.

"Some days I wish I missed it."


	2. Chapter 2

**A****/N: Fun story time. I'm a natural blonde, about the same color blonde as Steve Rogers in the cinematic universe. I dyed my hair black when I was 14. This is written from personal experience. I now dye my hair red, I'm 25. The exact color is pomegranate. :D**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Gabby dropped on the mattress and Steve pulled her over to him. "I just need to clarify, we didn't actually do anything horrible to them as children, did we?" Steve raised an eyebrow.

"It went that well?" Gabby groaned and turned pressing her face into his shirt.

"I never dyed my hair black when I was a teenager, I didn't have my moody, annoy the ever living shit out of my parents phase," she whined a little, voice muffled. "I know you didn't have that phase either."

"I was also born in the 1920's, we just didn't do that in my time," Steve pointed out, running his hand through her hair. "And you were getting ready to go to college at an early age. You didn't have time to be rebellious."

"No, I was watching my brothers start to date and finding out that my Uncle really Was a God." She sighed and flipped onto her back, moving under the covers next to Steve. "We didn't drop them on their heads as babies, did we? Tony didn't drop them, did he?" Steve snorted and chuckled a little.

"I'm assured that it's a phase, like the terrible twos." Steve kissed her cheek. "But if it makes you feel any better, Tony and Loki are going through the same thing with Anders right now."

"Thank god," Gabby mumbled. "I'd hate to be going through teenage hell alone." 

* * *

Tony nuzzled Loki's neck a little and he tried to swat him away. Tony ignored his hand and kissed his neck again. "Tony, we're not having another one until our youngest grows out of this, this, mood adjustment phase." Loki had never looked away from his book.

"He'll be out of the house by then, and the Tower will be quiet, and it takes 9 months to make a baby," Tony whined a little. Loki glanced at him then back to his book.

"And Eindride will be turning 17 in three months, school starts in 3 weeks, and he'll be graduating High School next year. I believe he has expressed an interest in commuting to University here in New York. He won't be leaving home for several years," Loki pointed out.

Tony sighed a little and wrapped an arm around Loki's waist. "Him and Chris are dangerous together."

"I'm more afraid that Anya will hide the bodies when she's done," Loki threw in and Tony laughed a little.

"When she starts sneaking out of the house for concerts and parties, she's going to get more moody." Tony thought about the scenario. "Steve will go out looking for her, and won't SHIELD have a field day with that. Captain America out breaking up parties in the middle of the night."

"You should stop wishing horrible things on them," Loki smirked a little. "It will all come back to bite you in the ass with your next child." Loki snorted when Tony kissed his neck again. "Not right now, get away you lech!" 

* * *

Anya flipped through a book on bed, a book that her grandfather had brought back for from Asgard. She had never been there, and knew that not many people did go there except for Uncle Loki and her Granpa. Uncle Thor lived there, coming down to help when the Avengers needed it, so he technically didn't count.

She stopped at a page about Hel. So far this seemed like the most interesting place to read about. She'd have to ask about Hela, because no one ever talked about her in their stories of the past. Even her dad had stories about other gods and adventures, about elves, and even some aliens, and she knew that he had been born on earth.

She shivered and sat up on her bed when she felt a cold breeze. Her window was open, but it was still pretty warm outside, it was only the second week of August. Frowning a little she got up and went over to the window, but didn't even hear the leaves rustling.

"I'm sorry, that seems to be a habit of mine." Anya turned at the voice and stared at the woman in her room. She was sitting in the chair in the corner, had long black hair and ice blue eyes. "I always seem to bring the cold with me when I travel."

"You know, all I have to do is make one loud noise and my dad will be here," Anya said, inching back towards her side table. "My dad is Captain-"

"America, yes, I know," she smiled at Anya. "I mean no harm, you were simply reading about me and I got curious. Not many take an interest in my information." Anya frowned. "I'm sorry, I'm being rude. My name's Hela."

Anya blinked a little, but was still on alert. "Really? How do I know you aren't just saying that?"

"Well, I'd show you, but I'm Goddess of the Dead, and I'm sure you don't want to die to find out." Anya quickly shook her head. "Well, you could ask your parents, or your Grandfather and Uncle Loki. I am their sister after all."

"Their sister? They never told us that." That seemed like something you just didn't forget.

"Yes, well, boys will be boys, I suppose." Hela sighed a little. "It wasn't easy living with three brothers, let me tell you." Anya snorted. "Ah, someone who can relate," she chuckled.

"He's my twin no less," Anya huffed a little and sat on the edge of her bed. "At least I'm the older one, but that doesn't seem to make a difference."

"I was the youngest of them all." Hela stood up from the chair. "Well, I should get back to Hel, but it was a pleasure to finally meet my niece. Perhaps next time I can take you to visit my land, without dying of course," she chuckled. "You are part God by birth so it wouldn't affect you if you traveled with me. Ah, but I"m getting ahead of myself." She shook her head a little and smiled. "Sleep well, my dear." She took a step and vanished and Anya blinked a little.

"Aren't you afraid that she's going to tell the others?" A voice followed Hela when she arrive back in Hel. "That could ruin everything."

"She won't, trust me." Hela smiled. 

* * *

Anya came out the next morning for breakfast, hair piled on top of her head, and sat next to Steve at the table. He looked at her hair and picked at the ends of it. "Black? Really?"

"To be honest, I was going for a dark brown, but I think I left it in too long." She shrugged a little and grabbed the pitcher of orange juice, pouring some for herself.

"What happens when the blonde starts to come back in at the roots?" He took the plate of eggs from Gabby as she came out.

"She's going to look like a skunk is what's going to happen," Gabby pointed a spatula at Steve. And we've decided that she needs to get a short haircut at the point and turn punk." Anya scrunched up her nose, and Steve snorted.

"You decided that, I will do no such thing." Gabby put some eggs on her plate then grabbed Steve's plate and put some eggs on, before the same for Gabby. Breakfast was usually just time for the three of them. Chris couldn't be bothered to wake up this early during the summer, and Bryanna had learned to take advantage of sleeping in when there was no school. Anya didn't see the point, she didn't want to get into the habit of not waking up. Steve and Gabby didn't mind.

"Well, do me a favor, and no more hair changes without a little executive input, yeah?" He gave the girls some sausage links. "And let's keep it all natural colors, no colors of the rainbow."

"Sure thing, Dad." Anya leaned over and kissed his cheek, and Steve caught the slight smile on Gabby's lips. 

* * *

Tony walked into Eindride's room and looked back at Clint. He smirked and pulled back on his bow, standing out in the hall. Tony walked over to the other side of his sons bed and held up a small pad, welding gloves on. He nodded and looked down and away, closing his eyes. The tip of Clint's bow sparked once and he let it go, hitting the center of the pad. The room suddenly lit up as fireworks erupted from the pad in Tony's hand.

Eindride jumped up, eyes wide, then rolled to the ground, hands over his head. "Ahhhh! I know nothing! You want my dad!"

Clint started laughing, falling back against the wall as Tony's head popped up. "What did you say?" Anders head popped up when the fireworks stopped, eyes wide. "So if someone attacked you, you'd give me up just like that?"

"To save my ass? Hell yea!" He ducked when Tony threw the pad at him. "Oh come on, like Dad wouldn't just come and save you anyway."

"You are so dead. now get dressed and come help me clean up the mess that you and Chris made." He growled, smacking the back of his head as he left the room. Clint was still laughing and Tony glared at him.

"That is so your son, Tony, there's no denying that." Clint said through his tears.

"He's need interrogation training is what he needs."

"Just let me know," he grinned, cheeks red from laughing. "I would be more than happy to help." Tony just hummed as he headed for his workshop.


	3. Chapter 3

**A****/N: I base all parent children interactions with some of my own personal ones, and ones that I've noticed from my adventures in babysitting. So far, I am of the state of mind that kids just have those moments that you want to wring their neck, but they're not bad people. Most of the time. :)**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"Pleeeeease," Anya looked at her parents. "There's only one more week until school, this is the last party before it starts, the last time I'll see some of my friends."

"It's not the last time," Gabby looked at her daughter, lessons plans on her lap for her upcoming classes. "There will be parties during the school year."

"Yeah, but they'll be different, there'll be stricter curfews, and school nights, and some of my friends are going to different schools this year." She looked between Steve and Gabby.

"Your curfew didn't change over the summer," Steve told her. "And you don't even know if your friends parents will be there or not."

"Her older brother will be there." Gabby and Steve just looked at her. "He's 22."

"The answer is still no. The party starts too late," Gabby shook her head. "You can go to another party with your friends some other time." Anya let out frustrated growl as she went back to her room, slamming the door. "It's just a phase, it's just a phase."

"I bet Tony just has JARVIS put Eindride's room on total lock down when that happens." Steve commented looking back at his own work.

"They'd have better luck with Loki's spells," Gabby snorted a little.

Anya sighed and looked at her phone as she got a text from her friends. They were headed out to the party. She was already dressed, was about to head out the door when her parents saw her. It was only 8 and she would have been home by 10, she could have gotten a ride from a friend. She grabbed a pillow and screamed into it as she fell on her back.

"A useful form of stress relief, I've found." Anya moved the pillow and looked over to see Hela back in the chair. "I thought you had a party tonight."

"I did, but I'm not allowed to go," she huffed a little and sat up again. "They think I won't make my curfew, so now I'm stuck in here. I'd be out the window in a second if I didn't think Dad would hear it."

"Well, I could help you, but I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with your parents." Anya's eyes widened a little and she leaned closer.

"They won't check on me for the rest of the night, I know they won't. Could you really get me to the party?" Hela nodded. "Please? That would just make my life right now. There are friends that that I won't see because they're going to different schools, I have to go say goodbye to them."

"How can I ignore a plea like that?" Hela smiled and stood up. "Well, come here child." She held her hand out and Anya ran over grabbing it. "Alright, just give me the address and I'll have you there in no time at all." Anya grabbed her phone to find it, grinning. 

* * *

"Sir," JARVIS intoned and Tony unfocused from the blueprint he was looking at. "Your help has been requested in assisting with the Green Goblin. Mr Rogers is on his way now." Tony stretched his arms a little and nodded.

"Alright, get the suit ready J. Did you tell Loki?" Tony slipped his shoes on as he got up.

"Already did sir, he requests that you not get yourself killed." Tony snorted and smiled.

"Tell him I love him, too." He walked into the suit as the platform started to rise to the balcony a couple floors up. "Get me locations on the Goblin and Cap." He looked at the map on the screen before taking off.

"Sir, incoming call from Miss Gabby." Tony frowned a little but answered the call.

"Tony? I need to ask you a favor." Tony could tell that she sounded a little exasperated. "And don't tell Steve, yet."

"Uh oh, this is teenager trouble, isn't it?" It had to be if he wasn't allowed to tell Steve.

"I think my daughter snuck out to go to a party." Tony winced a little. Loki was so going say I told you so after this. "If I give you the address can you swing around after this whole mission thing, and see if she's there. I'd ask Steve, but that means I'd have to tell him, and I don't want him distracted when fighting. Last time that happened he got a concussion."

"Hmm, point taken. Yeah sure, I got it, just text the address and JARVIS will show me."

"Thank you so much, you're still the best Uncle." Tony snorted and smiled. The address came a second later. Tony didn't like it.

"Sir, the address matches-"

"I know, power to the thrusters, now." 

* * *

She hadn't actually known that the party was going to be at a club in the city, but that didn't change anything. Anya was waiting with her friends to get inside when it happened. Something had flown down the street, stopping traffic, then an explosion across the street. Then the laugh.

"Maybe I shouldn't have gone out," she muttered as everyone started to panic. She looked around and then moved quickly. "Hey! Into the alley! Take cover in the alley!" She shouted, motioning with her arms. People in front of the club and the people that had jumped out of the cars started running. The alley led to the next street over, and would be easier to put more distance between themselves and the Goblin. It was also in the direction of home.

"Come on! Quick!" She turned to see if there was anyone else and her eyes widened and she swallowed slowly. Right in front of her was the Green Goblin, board hovering just a foot away.

"Aren't you just the good Samaritan, helping others before yourself," he grinned at her and she turned to run. Something wrapped around her arm and she yelped as she was suddenly dragged up. "Let's see who else you can help!" She yelled when he took off, the cord pulling on her arm and she tried to grab onto it. He circled around then stopped.

"Put her down." Anya was turning a little, trying to pull herself up so all the strain wasn't on her arm, but she recognized her Uncle Tony's voice. She heard the charge of his repulsors and looked at him.

She gasped when the cord around her arm suddenly broke and she started to fall. Right into her dad's arms. "Oh my god, Dad," she hugged him tightly as he set her on her feet.

"We'll talk later, come on," He wrapped an arm around her waist as he slipped his shield back on his arm. "Tony, I've got her. I'm getting her somewhere safe." She started to run with him but they both jumped back when there was an explosion and Tony was sliding across the ground past them.

"Yeah, mind taking me too?" Tony grunted and pushed himself up. "Behind you!"

Steve turned instinctively and put the shield up, putting Anya between him and the shield, as one of the Goblin's bombs hit it, exploding on impact. It send them back, crashing through the window of a building. Steve curled around his daughter when he heard another bomb roll in through the window. This one brought the building down on them. 

* * *

"Steve!" Anya blinked her eyes a little, then winced. "Steve! Dammit, answer me!" She looked around and tried to move then cried out when she tried to move her leg. She was on her back, metal shield above her, but her leg was was under fallen building.

She coughed on the dust and smoke in the air and turned her head to her dad. "Dad?" She coughed, pushing the arm that wasn't holding the shield. "Dad, are you okay?" She frowned when he didn't answer.

"Steve!" She heard his com crackle with Tony's voice. She reached over gently and started to push his helmet off. There was a large gash on his head and she took a breath. She grabbed the earpiece from his ear gently and put it in her ear.

"Uncle Tony?"

"Anya! Thank god! Are you alright?" She heard the building groan a little. "Where's your dad?"

"He's right here, but he's out. We're under the building, my leg is broken, and I don't know what's wrong with him," she spoke quickly as tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry, this is my fault, and-"

"No it's not! Now, just hang on, we're coming to get you okay?" Anya sniffed and nodded a little. "Uncle Loki is here with me and we're getting you out now." The building groaned and she heard something fall above them.

"It's still falling, it's unstable!" Tony looked at Loki who had been using his powers to lift the bigger pieces away.

"Okay, just hang on, we'll there soon." He muted the comm and Loki took a breath. "We have to change tactics."

"I can isolate the two of them and move them out slowly, but I'll need nothing to distract me." Loki look at Tony. "It'll be like lifting a ball from a tub of water, but it'll take a lot off power"

"I've got you covered," Tony nodded. "Do it." Loki nodded and took a breath. Tony put his hands on Loki's shoulders, letting him draw extra energy from him. Loki closed his eyes and his hands started to glow. Tony could see a responding green glow coming from inside the building. The building shuddered a little and Loki took a deep breath, his fingers curling around an imaginary ball. He slowly started to lift his hands up and broken pieces started to slide and fall, dust and smoke rising up.

Tony could feel Loki pulling some power from him and he could see a section of the building rise up as the rest of it suddenly collapsed in on itself. Loki pulled his hands towards himself and down, setting it down on the ground. He let go and Tony caught him under his arms as his knees wobbled. Pieces of the building slid and fell to the ground and Tony caught sight of Steve's shield. He heard the sirens coming and helped Loki sit, before hailing one of the ambulances.


	4. Chapter 4

**A****/N: **  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"It's been a while, Loki." Loki didn't move and sighed. "No words for your estranged sister?"

"Doesn't estranged mean we haven't talked for years? I don't think it's been nearly enough time." Loki watched her circle him. "Why do you choose now to come back to my dreams? Are the dead not exciting enough?"

"Not when it comes to you." He rolled his eyes. "Of course it has been some time since you're walls have been weak enough for me to walk through. What mortal did you safe from almost certain death this time?"

"One that you'll never see in your realm even if they did die." He cleared his throat and brushed her hands off of his arm. "I'm going to go back to the conscious world now, where I don't have to deal with you."

"One day you will, Loki." Hela smiled at him. "One day I'll break through the Allfather's punishment, and I'll be coming after you."

"I look forward to it."

=======

Gabby played with the chain of her necklace, her knee pulled up to her chest, sitting by the door that opened between the two rooms. She watched Anya's bed, the teens leg up and in a cast, looking for too pale for her liking. Steve was in the next room, still unconscious, with a broken arm and shoulder. She didn't know who to sit with, both were out, but the doctor's said it was likely that Anya would wake up first. They didn't have an estimation for Steve.

Gabby had sent Chris down with Bryanna to the cafeteria to make them eat something, and to give them a little bit of a always knew there was a chance that something could happen to Steve one day, she had hoped it would never happen, but there was always a chance. She didn't think that it would happen to both Steve and one of their children.

There was a soft knock at the door and Gabby looked over to see Chris standing by Clint who was holding onto a tired got up and walked over. "Hey, saw the kiddos downstairs, thought you might like some help." Clint offered. "I can drive them back and forth, and help with Bry."

"You don't have to, Clint." Gabby rubbed Chris's back a little.

"It's no problem, I'm gonna be around for a bit." Clint shrugged a little "Plus, she's half asleep on me already."

"It's alright, Mom." Chris looked at her. "I know it's getting late, and they probably don't have enough beds for all of us to stay tonight. You know Bry will sleep better with more than just me there, anyway." Gabby nodded and hugged him with one arm. "How are they?"

"No change yet, still sleeping. They're going to set Dad's arm tomorrow morning," she told both Chris and Clint. "They took some x-rays and they're going to decide if he needs surgery on his shoulder tomorrow."

"This is Steve we're talking about," Clint gave her a little smile. "Nothing keeps him down." Gabby nodded. "We'll be back in the morning, hang in there kiddo."

"Not a kiddo anymore," she smiled softly at Clint.

"I'm still older than you, and looking good thanks to those golden apples." He smiled. Chris hugged Gabby before following Clint and Bry.

Gabby was about to sit back down when she heard Anya take a breath. She leaned forward and took Anya's hand gently, IV line taped to the top of her hand. "Sweety?" She squeezed Gabby's hand a little and she let out a breath of relief. "Take your time, it's okay. Here," she reached over and grabbed the cup of water. "You should probably have some water, take tiny sips though." She put the straw to her lips and Anya took a couple of drinks.

She took a little deeper breath and fluttered her eye lids open slowly. She let out a little moan then looked over at her mother. "Hi, sweety," Gabby smiled at her. "Are you in any pain right now?" Anya shook her head a little. "Alright, well, let me know if you are, we'll get a nurse in here. they said your leg would probably hurt later, and you bruised your ribs, so that would ache for a bit."

"What about Dad?" Anya asked, throat a little scratchy. "He was there, and I couldn't get him to wake up." She coughed a little and and Gabby gave her another drink of water. "He was hurt."

"He's in the room next to yours," she told her. "His arm and shoulder are broken, he might need surgery for later, they're not sure yet. They're keeping a close eye on him, and they'll keep me informed as everything happens." She ran her hand through Anya's hair a little. "Don't worry, sweety, everything's going to be just fine."

"You're staying the night, aren't you?" Gabby nodded. "You should sleep in Dad's room, be there when he wakes up."

"Sometimes I see so much of your father in you kids."

======

Gabby was sitting on the second bed in Steve's room, Tony in the chair by both beds. It was way past visiting hours, but not many questioned Tony Stark. "So, what are you doing with your classes?"

"Well, I've already done the first day for my two classes, and I'll cancel this week. The University said they'd get one of the other Professors to help out if I needed it after that." Gabby was playing with the edge of the blanket. "We had decided that I'd only teach two classes this semester, and I'd help the twins with drivers training."

Tony nodded a little and looked over at her. "You can do this kid, I know you can." She smiled a little, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Get some sleep, it's late, and you're tired, I can see it."

She sighed a little and moved the blanket, slipping underneath it. Tony got up and dimmed the lights in the room. "Are you gonna go?"

"Nah," Tony shook his head. "I'm gonna sit here for a bit. Loki is still resting and Eindride is keeping an eye on him for me." Gabby nodded. "He'll be here tomorrow, I'm sure of it, just needs to replenish his energies. Nothing he hasn't done before."

"He saved their lives, didn't he?" She asked as she laid her head down on the pillow. Tony nodded a little. "He's always there for us."

"Yeah, never thought I'd want the man who threw me out of a window watching my back," Tony chuckled a little leaned back in his chair. "Sleep, kid."

Tony sat in the room, watching Steve and Gabby for a bit before he pushed himself up silently and walked into Anya's room. He saw the rise and fall of her chest and walked over to her side. "Can't sleep?"

She opened her eyes a little. "How did you know I wasn't asleep?"

"I'm the master at faking it," he pulled over the chair Gabby had been sitting in before. "And I also know that you're blaming yourself for this. But listen to me, it's not your fault."

"But, if I hadn't of been out there-"

"Then your dad would be more hurt than he is now." Anya blinked and looked at him. "So, JARVIS often runs scenarios for me after missions, cause I'm crazy like that, and I had him run some outcomes on the fight. If you hadn't of been there he still would have been thrown into that building, still unconscious. If you hadn't of been there, you wouldn't have been able to talk to me and give me your location." Tony took her hand. "You helped save his life, Anya. Things may not look fantastic right now, but it could have been worse."

Anya bit her lip and nodded, eyes watering. "I'm just worried, and I want to tell him I'm sorry." Tony got up and walked over to the closet, pulling out a folded up wheelchair. She frowned a little watching him.

"We gotta do this all quiet like, or else I'm gonna have some nurses throwing a fit." Tony grabbed the IV monitor, moving it to the pole on the back of the wheelchair. He slowly lowered her leg and moved the blankets. "Okay, arms around my neck," he told her as he leaned down. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms under her legs and around her waist, moving her tot he wheelchair. He propped up her leg and then started to push into the other room.

Gabby was fast asleep as they rolled in. Tony maneuvered her over to Steve's side and rubbed her shoulder a little. He walked back into her room to give her a minute, leaning against the doorway. Anya reached out and took Steve's hand, watching him as he slept. He almost looked like he was just sleeping on the couch after working, except for the bandage on the side of his head.

"So, I'm sorry, first," she spoke quietly. "I shouldn't have gone out to the party, I shouldn't have snuck out of the house. But I did, and I got you hurt." She blinked her eyes quickly, trying to get rid of the wetness building. "You saved me, without a second thought, like you always do. I don't need to know that you're a superhero to always be there for me, for all of us, cause you're just Dad. And you should wake up, cause we need Dad." She wiped at her eyes a little. "Bry's still young and needs you around to teach her stuff, and Chris is still learning too, so you need to keep up those lessons. And I need you, cause I still want you around, no matter how moody I get. I'm a teenager, and my emotions are still working themselves out." She wrinkled her nose a little at the tingling sensation. "So, wake up soon, so we can all go home."

Tony walked back over and rubbed her shoulders a little. She nodded a little and he took her back to her room.


	5. Chapter 5

**A****/N: **  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"You know, last time you saw Hela in your dreams, she cursed you," Tony said as they walked onto the elevator at the hospital the next afternoon. "You'll forgive me if I'm not as calm as you are about it."

"Well, I was also pregnant at the time," Loki adjusted his shirt a little. "My powers weren't at their peak then."

"Your powers weren't exactly at their peak 6 hours ago," Tony shot him a look. "I'm just saying, I don't like it. Just like I don't like her not so thinly veiled threat."

"She is bound to Hel, there is no way that she could have enough power to come back here," Loki assured him as they walked down the hall. "The most that she can muster up is to come and uselessly taunt me in my dreams. That is why I am not worried." Tony hummed his displeasure, but Loki just rolled his eyes. "Now shush."

The Rogers family was in Anya's room, Bry sitting on Anya's bed with a tablet. The two sisters were playing some kind of board game on it. Chris napping on the loveseat against the wall, and Gabby was looking through what looked like school papers. The door connecting to Steve's room was closed.

"Uncle Loki," Gabby smiled and got up, hugging him. He rubbed her back as he wrapped his arms around her. She kissed his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. Tony walked over to the girls and looked down at the tablet. Gabby took a breath and Loki nodded a little.

"I know, child. And do not think that I would hesitate to do it again," Loki told her quietly.

"I can't thank you enough." They pulled away and looked at each other.

"Oh, I'm sure we could work out a deal," he chuckled a little.

"And be considered the fool of Midgard for making a deal with the Trickster?" Gabby raised an eyebrow at him. "I think not."

"Oh no, they call Tony that title." He smirked and put a hand on her back. "Where's the good Captain?"

"They took him down to have surgery on his shoulder, to set the bones," Gabby told them as they walked fully into the room. "They're going to take Anya down for another scan later to see if her leg is healing how they want it too."

"Seems things are getting in order," Tony said, still watching the game. He reached over and touched a piece and Anya gasped as Bry grinned.

"Don't pester the children, Anthony." Tony pouted a little but walked back over to his husband. "Sometimes you are no better than them."

"And that's why they call You, not me, the fool of Midgard," Tony smirked and Gabby snorted. "For you decided to marry me."

=====

Not long after Clint had made his way back up and taken Chris and Bry down to get some lunch while Gabby talked with the doctors about Steve's surgery. It had gone well, and there were discussing after care with her. Tony seemed to have taken Chris's place on the loveseat, eyes closed and napping, Loki in a chair between the couch and the bed.

Anya played with her fingers a little, wondering how to broach the subject in her head with her uncle. She had a feeling that she should bring it up. "Uncle Loki?" He hummed a little before looking up at her from his book. "Do you have a sister?" He looked at her for a few long seconds.

"I do. Why do you ask young one?" Loki cold sense that Tony was waking up and listening to the conversation now.

"I was wondering, and you never talk about her," Anya shrugged a little. "I thought it was just the three of you as brothers."

"We do not often like to speak of our sister, for she has done us wrong in the not too distant past." He watched the teen frown. "Anya, have you encountered my sister?" Now Tony was sitting up.

Anya bit her bottom lip a little and nodded slowly. "A few times, but I didn't know she was like that, she didn't appear to be at the time." She looked down at her hands in her lap. "She helped me leave the house..."

"At times like this, it's not like I relish the thought of saying, I told you so," Tony spoke up from the couch, looking at Loki.

"Then don't say it," Loki shot back.

"I told you so." Loki growled a little then looked back at Anya.

"Has she done anything else?" He asked her calmly. He knew that Hela could be a wonderful actor, specially to those that were naive about her existence in the first place.

"No, she showed up in my room a couple of time and we just talked." Anya looked back up at him. "Then she offered to help me get to the party."

"What's going on?" The three looked up to see Gabby standing in the room, eyes a little wide. "Are you telling me that Hela is back, and she's messing with my family?"

Loki stood up and walked over to her. "It's alright for now. She has not done anything harmful." Loki tried to calm her down before they knew all the facts. Hela was still not strong enough to do anything like before. "She likely had no knowledge of the attack, or else she wouldn't have helped. I know my sister, she is working a scheme." Gabby glared a little.

"A scheme involving my daughter? Oh hell no, I think not." Tony smirked a little as he saw the fierceness come out of Gabby. "She thinks that I did some damage before, well I'm older now and she's messing with My family."

"Gabriella," Loki took her hands, leveling her with a look. "She will not do anything more. Now that we know, we can stop her from whatever she's planning. And you will not do anything on your own, I will deal with her myself."

"Like hell you will." Tony stood up. "Good things Never happen when you face her alone."

"I'll net let her get near you again," Loki looked at him. "Things seem to go worse for you."

Anya cleared her throat to get their attention. "Perhaps you could all work together? She doesn't know that I've told you, and I could always call her back, and you could set a trap?" She looked between the three in front of her. "Isn't that the easiest way to stop her before she's started?"

"You've already been hurt once, I'm going to let you use yourself as bait," Gabby spoke up first. "Your dad would never allow it either."

"That's real risky, kid," Tony told her. Loki was thinking and Tony didn't like it. It meant he was considering it.

"If a plan is orchestrated well enough, then she won't even be able to get near me, right?" Anya argued.

"How do we know she isn't already listening to this? That she won't see right through this, if you even Did get a chance to do it?" Gabby asked.

"Because I have warded these two rooms," Loki answered. "To keep them safe."

"You can't actually be considering this," Gabby looked at Loki.

"Not especially," Loki shook his head. "I'm considering what she would do. She wouldn't know that Anya has asked me about her, that much is true. So she may appear to Anya on her own. I would rather have a contingency plan in place, or she may be harmed anyway." Gabby frowned. "As I said, my sister is working a scheme, as to what it is yet I don't know, but I'd like to stop it."

Gabby blew out a breath and her shoulders sagged a little. "I don't want anymore bad news. bad news is what took away both my parents at one time, and I'll not have this family go through anymore."

"You know I would never intentionally let that happen." Loki kissed her forehead. She nodded a little and sighed.


	6. Chapter 6

**A****/N: Time for some action?**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony held the door open for Anya and she walked in on her crutches. Loki was inside setting wards and detection spells that would be hidden from Hela. "I'd offer to make dinner, but Loki says that sometimes says that my food is comparable to burnt rubber."

"You've been cooking for how long, with three kids?" Anya looked at him as she moved slowly inside.

"Yeah yeah, I don't argue with him on this though, he makes amazing food." Anya snorted a little. "I'm sure Loki is done in your room if you wanna do something before dinner. I know you've been laying down for the past four days, but you never know."

"That's okay, these crutches actually take a lot of work, so I think I will go sit down for a bit." She nodded a little and headed for her room. "I think I'll call mom later, too."

"Sure thing, kiddo." Tony pinched her cheek a little and she scrunched her nose up a little.

Slowly making her way to her room she nudged the door most of the way closed with one crutch and flopped down on her bed. She sighed a little and pulled herself up to a sitting position on her bed. Anya thought that if she helped catch Hela it might help wake her dad up. She knew that everyone told her not to think it was her fault, but it was hard when not to think so when he was still in the hospital instead of trying to come up with a punishment for her going out.

"I wondered when you would be home." Anya jumped a little and turned to see Hela in the usual chair. "I'm glad to see that you're doing much better."

Anya smiled a little and nodded. "Thanks, things could be better, but I guess things could also be worse."

"Perhaps it would help if I told you that I didn't see your father in my lands," Hela gave her a soft smile as she stood up, moving towards her. "But, if I had my way," she flicked her hand and the door shut and locked, "I'd see him there, along with a few others." 

* * *

"So, any idea on how she's getting here?" Tony asked as he sat on the counter as Loki cooked. "Because you had told me that-"

"I'm aware of what I said," Loki sighed a little, turning off the stove. "That's what I intend to find out when we find her."

"How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Tony grabbed a mushroom from the bowl and Loki threatened to slap his hand with a spoon.

"I don't know, and that makes me uneasy," Loki admitted. Tony paused a little and looked at him. "I don't like that she's made contact with Anya. She's made it clear that her grudges are held against me, so why would she go about it this way?"

"I didn't think it was possible for her to act nice," Tony admitted. "And yet she managed to get Anya kind of trust her." Loki hummed a little in annoyance. Tony sighed a little and hopped off the counter. "How American stereotype is this house? Two story, big yard, two car garage, and the fact that Steve can drive still terrifies me, five bedroom, 3 bath."

"Not used to normal living?" Loki raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Not everyone lives in mansions, and Towers in the city. Or are you perhaps a bit jealous?" Tony snorted and Loki chuckled. "Domesticated."

"Yes, I would have used the same word to describe you, dear brother." Both men turned quickly at the sound of Hela's voice. Loki threw out his hand to put up a shield between the two of them and her. "Did you think that I wouldn't recognize your spells? Wouldn't see your wardings? Do you take me for a fool?"

"A fool? No," Loki shook his head. "Foolish, yes."

"Foolish?" She chuckled a little and smirked. "Well, I'll be sure to tell the little strumpet in my care that. I'm sure that will bring her hope that her Uncle will save her." Loki's hands fisted and he almost snarled. "Aw, does that make Uncle Loki upset?"

Tony had grabbed Loki's arm, hoping to hold him back. "You will give her back," Loki growled.

"Or what? You'll go running to Father again? You're Pet doesn't have the power of the tesseract to save you all this time." Hela snarled. "No, I don't think that I will take orders from you. I have my own realm, I have power over millions, power that you will never have." She laughed and looked at Loki. "I think that you'll know where to find me, and where to find the girl. Although I can't say how the time in Hel will affect her." Loki's spell passed through Hela as she disappeared.

Tony let out a breath, closing his eyes and leaned against the counter. "Shit, dammit, okay. We just have to think of a plan, and-"

"I'll go and get her, there is no other discussion." Loki said. "She has made this personal, and if she wants a fight, then that is what she will get."

"Hey!" Tony grabbed his arm. "No way, if you go after her like this then she'll get one over on you. You're too upset right now." Loki shot a glare at him. "Don't think that'll scare me. I'm not going to let you go and lose both of you!"

"If I don't go then we lose Anya," Loki said in a calmer tone. "I will not let her be hurt because of a vendetta against me. It's not fair to her."

"Fair? None of this is fair, our whole god damned lives haven't been fair to us." Tony let go of him and paced the kitchen a little. "Is it fair to me to have you go off on a suicide mission? Is it fair to the kids? To everyone else?" He turned to look at Loki again. "There has to be a better way that we can figure this out."

Loki sighed slowly. "I can give a night, I don't want to risk waiting any longer." Tony nodded and pat his chest. 

* * *

Tony was kneeling on the counter top, light on over the sink, cupboard door open. Loki leaned against the kitchen and watched him. "You know, It's unfair the Rogers is tall, tall enough to hide his booze from the kids, and apparently from me."

"Does he have any in this house?" Loki asked.

"Gabby drinks it sometimes, a glass once a month or something like that. Ah ha," Tony grabbed a bottle of scotch and set it down on the counter. "Last time I offered you a drink, you threw me out a window and down over a hundred feet." Loki rolled his eyes. "So when I turn around, you're not going to be in your night clothes are you? I figured you were just humoring me when you said you'd wait until morning." Tony poured a drink in his glass.

"If it's any consolation, I'm not as angry as I was before." Tony turned to look at him, deadpan expression. "I don't plan on going after Hela right away, I will find Anya first."

Tony sighed and turned to look at him. "You just don't want to tell Gabby what happened." He walked over and put a hand on the back of his neck. "Listen, you and me, we're not big on the sappy stuff, but you know what? If you don't come back in a timely manner, I will go above Odin's head to make sure that you come back so i can kill you again."

"I would be disappointed if you didn't." He kissed Tony lightly. "Have fun with Gabby."

"You hate me." 

* * *

Tony took a breath before walking into the hospital room. He had waited an extra day, partly because he hoped that Loki or Anya would be back, and also because he didn't want to have to break the news to Gabby.

Gabby was reading a book when he walked in, feet propped up on Steve's bed. "Have you eaten today?" She looked up and gave Tony a small smile.

"I had some breakfast earlier, so yes." She closed her book, putting it on the little table. "Don't worry, the nursing staff makes sure I eat. I'm glad you came though, the no contact thing was really annoying." She put her feet down and looked at him. "You know the last time you were silent like that you told me my dad was dead."

"Well, no one's dead, that's for sure," Tony walked in. They both stopped when there was a long intake of breath from the bed. "Holy shit."

"Steve?" Gabby stood up and took Steve's good hand. "Baby, can you hear me?" Steve eyes moved a little and he slowly started to open them. Gabby let out a breath with a sob and smiled.

"I'll be damned," Tony said as he walked over to the bed.

Steve tried to clear his throat a little and sit up. "Oh hang on." Gabby put a hand on his arm and hit the controls to move the bed up slowly, carefully of his broken arm. "I'll get you some water, but you have to be careful how you move right now, you don't want to jostle your shoulder." Tony had grabbed the cup with the straw and handed it to Gabby. She let Steve take a few sips then grabbed her cup that had some ice in it.

"You really seem to now what you're doing," Tony commented as he watched her.

"I've been prepared." She smiled as Steve sucked on a few ice cubes, trying to wet his dry mouth.

"Got the prettiest nurse," Steve managed out in a hoarse voice, smiling tiredly.

"You'd better think so after over 20 years and 3 kids." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and kissed him lightly. "God, I love hearing your voice."

"I think I've been hearing yours while I slept." Gabby moved his hair with her fingers and sat back down, still holding his hand. "I didn't sleep for another 70 years did I?"

"Not this time, baby. I wouldn't have let you do that." Gabby rubbed his palm with her thumb. "so just to fill you in, be careful of your right side, your arm and shoulder are broken and you had to have surgery on it. And-"

"Where's Anya?" Steve asked. "She was with me, is she okay?"

"She has a broken leg, but she's fine. She won't home two days ago with Tony and Loki." They both looked at Tony.

Tony swallowed slowly. "Oh boy, This isn't going to go over very well." He ran his hand through his hair and blew out some air. "There's been a complication."


	7. Chapter 7

**A****/N: Time for some action?**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony was sitting in a chair, elbows on his knees, hands rubbing his head. "I know, I know."

"Do I have to justify that response with one of my own?" Gabby glared. "You said that she would be safe, that that crazy psycho wouldn't be able to get her." Steve was holding on to Gabby's arm, and he was looking between them. he was still processing everything.

"That's what we thought, it shouldn't have been possible," Tony said again. "We don't know what happened. that's why Loki has gone to get her-"

"Loki went to Hel, alone?" Steve frowned. "Those excursions have never gone very well in the past."

"I'm well aware, a point I've brought up before." Tony sighed and sat up a little. "Listen, this was the last thing I wanted to happen, but it did. And my husband has gone to get your daughter, and the only thing I can do is hope that Hela doesn't kill him." He looked between them. "She doesn't want your daughter dead, she was a ploy, that was obvious now. For what I don't know."

Gabby sat down and closed her eyes. "Bry and Chris are safe, right?"

"Still with Clint and Eindride at the Tower, I check in with JARVIS every hour." Tony told them.

Gabby took a breath and stood up. "I'm gonna go check in with the nurses, let them know you're up." Steve held her hand for a moment before letting go.

"Steve, I-"

"I want my little girl back, Tony, and the minute I get out of here, we're finding a way to them," Steve told Tony, looking at him with a determined gaze.

"We?" Tony raised a eyebrow.

"Well, I'm obviously not going alone, and you want Loki back just as much." Tony nodded. "I'm sure we can find some others to help out. I'm not going to sit back and wait."

"Well you won't be doing much with your best arm out of commission." Tony pointed out, looking at the cast on his body.

"We can make a pit stop to Asgard, I'm sure the Healers there can help." Steve glanced at his arm. "I've been through worse." 

* * *

"Why would you do this?" Anya stared forward, not listening to whatever it was that talked to her in her brother's voice and looks. "Sneak out like that? It was only asking for trouble, and not just the anger of Dad."

"Go away, you're not even real." She sat down, arms wrapped around her one knee, casted leg on the ground.

"I mean seriously, how stupid could you be? Well, I can tell you what your stupidity got you, got us." The Chris look a like leaned down. "It got Dad in a coma, cause that's the word that Mom is avoiding, and she won't leave his side, so Bry and me have to stay with someone else, and not even at our own house now! And all because you had to stay quiet about your new friend. So hey, thanks for messing up our pretty good life."

"Go away," Anya growled. "I'm sick of seeing you."

"I don't understand," Anya glanced over when she heard her mother's voice this time. "When did you start keeping secrets? Disobeying us like this? We didn't raise you to be like this." She sighed and stood up. "Well, now I"ll have to make sure I don't make the same mistakes with Bry, probably alone." Anya's eyes widened a little. "If he ever wakes up. I just wonder what he'd think, what he'd say."

"I'm disappointed." Anya sat up when she heard Steve's voice. "How could I not be? I spend my life trying to do the best I can for my family, something I never thought I'd have. There must have been something I didn't do right, something to not deserve your love."

"No," Anya put her head down on her knee, shutting her eyes tightly, lids wet. "Stop it, please." Her head shot up when someone grabbed her hand and she took a breath. "Uncle Loki?"

Loki pulled her into his arms then quickly helped her up. "It's alright now," Loki kissed her forehead before wrapping his arm around her to help her walk with her bad leg. "I've got you and I'm going to get you home." She sniffed a little and nodded. "None of what happens here is real, just remember that."

They walked, Anya letting her Uncle guide her. He seemed to know where he was going, all she had managed to do was get lost the few days she had been there. She had kept moving to try and stay away from Hela, if she was looking. She had been constantly followed by shades of her family, never Steve though, not before, but she knew that they couldn't be real. That's what she kept telling herself, but it was getting harder and harder to believe herself.

Anya saw a faint green glowing circle on the ground not too far away. "I want you to close your eyes when we travel, alright?"

"And where would you be running off to so fast, brother?" They stopped, Hela walking up to the circle from the other side. "You've only been here a day, maybe? That's such a short visit, and I haven't even seen you."

"I'm afraid I'm not interested catching up with you. I can only assume that your life stuck here has been rather dull." Loki kept his arm around Anya, keeping her close.

"Oh, but I'd love for you to stay here so I can prove you wrong." She started to walk around the circle closer to them. Anya felt a small build up of energy coming from Loki.

"I'll oblige you, alone though." Loki spun Anya into the circle the same time Hela placed a palm down on the edge. The runes changed in the slit second before there was a flash of light, Anya and the circle disappearing.

"Uh oh, did I mess things up?" Hela smirked as Loki's eyes widened a little. "I wonder, I wonder, where could she have ended up?"

Loki turned, arm in the air, and Hela caught his wrist tightly. "Let's see what fun we can get into this time. I've got a friend just dying to see you." Loki felt a tingle of familiar magic approach from behind him and he stiffened. Tony was going to kill him.


	8. Chapter 8

**A****/N: So I've been watching Captain America, Thor, The Avengers and the new Captain America 2 trailer. Who knows what could happen now! I've been influenced!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Anya took a breath and fell forward onto her hands as she appeared. Appeared in some place that was definitely not home. She looked around and saw tree, but they weren't natural, more golden than anything, and she could feel something in the air. She looked up when she heard footsteps coming towards her and took a slow breath. Several tall people in armor approached her, spears in hand at the ready.

Two stepped forward and picked her up by her arms, one of them looking at her cast. "Where am I?" She asked them. She made a little gasp as they tried to get her to walk and her broken leg pulled back. "My leg is broken, I can't walk that fast."

The guards stopped when someone else walked forward, less armor, more official looking in robes and vambraces. "You are in Vanaheim's capital city," the man spoke looking her over. He walked over and his long fingers reached out, hooking some of her hair. When he pulled it out she blinked seeing that it was white. "You seem to have more than a broken leg. What brought you here?"

"My Uncle was trying to send me home, to Midgard." She tried to remember the little training her grandfather had given her about the different Realms.

"You are far from Midgard." He let her hair go and motioned to the one of the guards. The guard picked her up, hooking an arm under her knees. "We shall take you to our healers, and we will have to ask you some questions. For security purposes of our people." Anya nodded a little as they started to walk, the other of the guards falling in around her and the Official. Vanaheim was even far from Asgard. She had to try and find her way back though, someone had to help Loki. 

* * *

"No," Gabby said, hands on the wheel of the car. Tony was sitting in the back, watching, and slightly praying.

"They've both been gone for four days," Steve said from the passenger seat. "I've got to do something."

"No," Gabby said again. "You were Just released from the hospital. You've got a metal rod in your arm, and your shoulder is still broken." Tony wondered how often they fought, and who won most of them. His money was on Gabby if her mood was anything to go by right now. "Traveling to another realm, facing someone who almost killed All of us at one point, is not like going out and working for SHIELD or the Avengers. These are just some deluded villains."

"And she has our daughter, and Loki hasn't come back. We don't know what happening. I don't see what kind of a choice we have at this point." Tony felt a little awkward in the back now.

Gabby took a slow deep breath as she stopped in their driveway. "I'm well aware of what the stakes are right now. I've been staring them in the face everyday for last 9 days."

Tony cleared his throat a little and he saw two pair of eyes staring at him from the rearview mirror. "I usually don't side with the one who seems to be losing the argument, but time does move differently on the realms. Just a reminder. So it's been more than four days." He undid the seatbelt. "I know we're all worried about two different people at varying degrees, but their both together as far as we know."

"Then find someone else to go and get them," Gabby said through gritted teeth.

"Thor is busy being King of Asgard, Balder is currently with the Dwarves and out of our reach right now." Steve looked at Gabby. "Tony and I are the only ones who can go up to Asgard to get started, to travel to Hel."

"No, you're not. I can go too." Gabby looked back at him and Steve blinked. "We'll all go up to Asgard, I'd rather have Chris and Bryanna up there where they'd be more guarded. And then I'll go with you two."

"Wait, what?" Tony blinked. "I think I just got blindsided."

"You did," Gabby said as she took the keys from the ignition. "And the first one who argues with me will be staying here." She got out and headed for the house.

Tony opened his mouth a little then closed it and looked towards Steve. "She is definitely above Angry Bees on a threat list."

* * *

Loki swallowed as he heard Hela walking back towards him. He was sitting on his knees, eyes closed, focusing on his energy. Hela was bringing back his enemies from her realm, those he had killed in his adventures with Thor, Sif and the Warrior's Three. She was running her own personal Gladiator arena, and she had an endless supply of combatants.

"Have you been having fun my dear?" Hela leaning down next to him. "Seeing old friends, having a lot to catch up on, it all seems so exciting."

"You have a twisted sense of excitement," Loki said to her. He wasn't going to let her get him riled up, he knew that she still had more planned. "But, everything about you was always twisted."

"Seems your silvertongue hasn't failed you yet." She pat his cheek and he opened his eyes to look at her. "Are you ready for your next reunion? This one is going to be a special one, I can feel it. I've been looking forward to this one, honestly. Call me a sentimentalist."

"I'd call you anything but." Loki watched her get up and take a few steps backwards. Loki got up when he felt the change in the air, that someone else had come. What Loki needed was some time to himself to get enough magic built up to leave. Tony might have been right, he needed some help.

"Pity. Now, you two haven't seen each in years, and I'm just Dying to see what happens." She grinned and shimmered away and Loki saw a figure stepping out of the mist. A tall figure. One he hadn't expected to see. Laufey.

"Asgardian," the former King growled out low. He smirked and stepped closer. "I've waited a long time to see you again."

"Oh, did no one tell him?" Hela appeared behind a tense Loki, her hands on his shoulders. He gasped a little and felt a cold sensation sweep through his body. "You're no Asgardian, not truly." Loki glanced down and saw his hands turning blue. "Laufey, this is your son. The one you abandoned at the Temple. Odin took him, along with the Casket." Loki kept his eyes on Laufey. "The best part? He knew you were his father when he betrayed and killed you. Now I'm sure you two have a Lot to talk about." She laughed and disappeared. Loki bent his knees a little. Laufey looked pissed.

"Did you claim my throne as well?" Laufey asked as he started to move towards Loki. One arm became covered in ice as it formed into a long sword, ice daggers appearing in his other hand.

"How low you've fallen, being betrayed by your runt, to listening to a maniac." Loki knocked one dagger away with a spell and started to move as Laufey threw a couple more. "A King fallen so far from his throne- Oph!" He hadn't seen Laufey extend his sword and got his with the side being thrown to the ground.

Loki laughed a little as he pushed himself up. "Now it's a fight."


	9. Chapter 9

**A****/N: I'm horrible. A horrible person to my characters.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"I knew there was a reason I left you at the temple." Loki took a deep breath and focused on not moving. He opened his eyes when Laufey grabbed his jaw. "You would never be worthy to be called my son." He pushed Loki's head back and he sucked in a breath as he moved against the ice spike his shoulder had been impaled on. "You were only able to kill me with my back turned."

"I pulled you into my plan with no problem," Loki told him. "You walked beside me into Asgard, and never looked behind you. Who is the fool but the one who trusted too easily." Loki needed Laufey to come a little closer to him. He had just enough energy left for one final plan.

He and Laufey looked like Hel frozen over. Wounds open, skin bleeding, bruises forming, they hadn't been kind to each other. Loki need to get rid of him if he wanted to live. If he died here, Hela would trap his soul for eternal torture and then no one would be able to save him, no matter what.

Laufey growled and narrowed his red eyes. "You were a disgrace to my name, to my bloodline. I needed to be rid of you, so I left you at the temple. I had hoped the Asgardians would raid it, burn it to the ground, or that the priestesses would sacrifice you to win the war. You were, you Are nothing!" Loki clenched his jaw, watching at Laufey moved closer to him. "Now I will personally remove my mistake!" He lifted the dagger in his hand to plunge it into Loki's chest.

Loki's hands moved quickly and he grasped the Casket of Ancient Winters, the blue swirling bright in his hands. Laufey's eyes widened and he looked at Loki. Loki narrowed his eyes and Laufey moved his arm down, the dagger stopping inches from his chest as Loki used the Casket to freeze the Frost Giant. Loki yelled out as he moved his hands again to store the Casket, his shoulder moving against the ice spear.

He put his feet out and used Laufey's frozen body to boost him up, slowly sliding his shoulder off of the ice. He fell to his knees, panting, and placed a glowing green hand out. The ice spikes started to crack at the base, falling towards the former King. Laufey fell and shattered as he hit the ground. Loki closed his eyes tightly and put a still blue hand to his bleeding shoulder.

"Wow, Loki," Hela came walking over, stepping over the large pieces of ice. "Rejected by both fathers. You really are not loved, are you?" She leaned down to one knee in front of him, reaching out. Loki's shaking hand reached out and gripped her wrist tightly, blood from his fingers smearing on her skin. She smirked a little when she could see that his eyes were a little wild, the rest of his body shook like his hand. She was breaking him. 

* * *

Tony was waiting with Steve in the Healing rooms in Asgard. Steve was flexing his previously broken arm and moving his shoulder slowly. Tony sat up straight in the chair he was sitting in suddenly and took a breath. Luckily no one had noticed him and he stood up, heading for the door silently. As he stepped out he put a hand to his chest and closed his eyes.

"Dammit, Loki," he mumbled. "What is she doing to you?" He started walking down the hall, trying to clear the thoughts in his mind. He would need to go into this to find Loki with a clear mind.

"Dad?" He looked over and saw Eindride coming towards him. "What's wrong?"

"A lot of things, but what else is new?" He smiled at his son.

"I can tell that something is bothering you." they both stopped and looked out over the smaller cities of Asgard. "Is it Dad? Is something happening?" Tony glanced at the teen. "Dad told me you two had some kind of bond when I was younger."

Tony wrapped an arm around his shoulders ad brought him closer to him. "You should know by now not to worry about us. We do a lot of stupid stuff, but we come back from it all." He watched Eindride shuffle his foot a little, rubbing at an imaginary spot on the ground. "Ein?"

"What about when I born?" Tony frowned. He lifted Eindride's chin to look at him. "Dad almost didn't come back from that."

"How do you know about that?" Tony leaned against the railing and watched his son.

"Um, well," he cleared his throat a little. "Sometimes, not often, when I touch people I can see flashes of the past. And a couple years ago when Kaia and Nathan visited, I got a flash from Nathan." He looked up at Tony with a look that he had only ever seen on Steve and Nathan before. "It's like I was seeing what happened through his eyes. I saw him holding me as a baby, and I saw Dad."

"Ah christ," Tony muttered and pulled Eindride into his arms against his chest. "I'm sorry that you had to see that." He ran his hand through his hair a little. "But, that's not your Dad right now, is it? I know that that time was hard, a lot happened then, but just like last time, I'm not going to rest until he's back here and yelling at us for being stupid."

Tony squeezed his arms a little and pulled back. "One day, I will have a child that isn't taller than me." Eindride snorted a little. "Now, you have to stay here with Chris and Bry. The kids in this family have a knack for not listening to Loki or me and they come after us, but this is different."

"Because it's Hela?" Tony nodded. He bit his lip a little, rubbing his hands together in front of him. "Okay, you're probably going to say no, but maybe I can persuade you with saying that it would help convince me to stay here." Tony frowned. "Can I try and see what happened with Hela? From your past?" He held up his hands. "I've been working on controlling the powers."

Tony blinked and looked at him. He didn't easily forget what happened, all they had been through and he didn't exactly want any of his kids to see that. There was a difference between telling someone and then seeing it. "How does it work?" Tony wanted to know. "Do I have to give you a time frame? Cause we encountered her for a number of years, but only twice was she so prominent in her plans."

"No, I think I can do it." He took a breath and stretched his hands out. He took Tony's hands and Tony watched them started to glow dark red. Tony was always interested to see what color his children's magic manifested as. Tony closed his eyes and let out some air through his mouth before he felt the magic access his memory.

He could suddenly see it all again. He saw Hela finding him for the first time, saw Hela attacking the Tower and he was running for Kaia's room. The memories weren't in order. Hela was standing in front of him and Loki and he could once again feel the power of the tesseract running through his body. He was in Hel trying to rescue Nathan and he could see the car accident that had taken his own parents from him.

Tony suddenly gasped when he felt a stinging pain in his back, he was pulling himself along the ground, Kaia in his arms, getting her to safety, and he couldn't move. The pain suddenly shifted and Hela was above him. She was humming as she pulled up and Tony saw the golden thread. He wanted to scream but he couldn't, his lips wouldn't move. He jerked back and the image was suddenly gone. He was back in Asgard, his son was in front of him, eyes wide. Tony was suddenly aware that he was panting heavily and his knees were shaking. He let himself slide down to the ground and one hand slide over his mouth gently.

"We're telling your Dad about this power," Tony said quietly as Eindride kneeled down in front of him. "We're going to have to learn to block certain memories." Eindride took one of Tony's hands and lifted it up and he could see a slight shake in it. He put his hand up when he saw Eindride open his mouth to talk. "Not right now, we can talk about it some other time. I just hope you understand why I don't want you going." He nodded a little and hugged Tony tightly.

"Both of you come back." He sighed and rested his head on Tony's shoulder. His heart was still running from the memories, and he didn't even want to imagine what his other Dad had been through. He just wanted things to go back to normal. His fathers deserved it.


	10. Chapter 10

**A****/N: I'm horrible. A horrible person to my characters.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Anya watched the healers as they carefully removed the cast on her leg. She felt the air hit her leg, making a shiver run down her back. She made a face at the sight, the stitches and marks from the surgery standing out from the paler skin.

"Midgardians have an interesting way of dealing with injuries," the older woman commented. Anya stayed very still, it had been painful enough getting there and the jostling she didn't want to move without the cast on.

A younger man ran his hand down her leg, hand glowing slightly. "There is, metal in your leg?" He looked up at her.

"My leg was trapped under heavy pieces of concrete, practically crushing the bones," Anya explained. "There's no magic on Midgard so we heal with other means. The metal rod helps keep my bones in place to heal, and the cast keep me from moving them. My dad has one in his arm."

"Interesting, sounds painful, but interesting," the man nodded. "Well, you won't need the rod after this. If you would like we can heal the bones, and remove the rod."

"Will you be able to do it without cutting open my leg?" The two other healers looked up at her and shook their head. "Of course not. I think I'll wait until I get back to Midgard for that one, but I'll take the healing. It's better than having a still broken leg."

The man glanced at her as the others worked on her leg. He smiled a little. "You have tremendous courage, especially for one from Midgard."

"I come from an amazing family," she smiled a little. "Sometimes my mom calls my dad the God of Courage," she chuckled a little. "My name is Anya, by the way."

"I'm Kasir," he smiled. "Let's heal your leg and I'll take you to see our King." 

* * *

Hela smirked, sitting on top of a broken ice pillar, resting her chin in her hand. Loki was panting, leaning against a build up of ice. He was his usual pale self again, but she could see the shake in his arms. She glanced over to the side and saw Laufey's head a few feet away from his body. Waving her hand he disappeared, but Loki didn't notice.

"Loki? Did you want to try and talk to him again?" She could hear the growl in his throat and smirked. "Well, you're still capable of some emotions and can understand me. You must be really hanging onto your sanity." She waved her hand again and Laufey stepped through the mist again. "Maybe this time you can have that heart to heart. Maybe move past all the times that you've had to kill him."

She couldn't help it, she actually giggled at herself as Laufey launched at Loki. She enjoyed being in charge of Hel and the dead.

Loki gasped when he was slammed chest first into the ice. "I should have known you would be no good when you almost killed my wife with your birth," Laufey hissed into his ear. "Tainted with unnatural magic."

"Dear brother, did you tell him what your magic is now?" Hela called out. "Did you tell your birth father that you've been changed and tainted by the fae?"

Laufey actually laughed before throwing Loki to the ground. He rolled and stopped on his side. "You had yourself turned into a pet? Captured by a Changeling?"

"Oh no, captured by one of pure Fae, one of the firsts." Loki rolled over onto his back and started to push himself back up when someone grabbed him by the back of his neck, pulling him to his feet. "Yes, him! Laufey, meet Gauton."

Loki's eyes widened and he reached up trying to grasp the hand. "My my, you have been a very bad boy," a voice whispered into his ear. "There is a long time to catch up on, and a lot of punishment. Pet, you killed me, that just can not be overlooked."

Hela stepped into his view, grinning. "Who don't you disappoint, Loki? Can you be sure that you haven't disappointed your Midgardian? Perhaps that is why he hasn't come to save you, why no one has come in fact."

"They must think that he deserves his punishment, obviously." Lanhr walked behind Hela, stopping at her shoulder. Laufey stepped behind her other side, all three smiling at Loki.

"I must say, that on some level, I'm not disappointed in you, Pet." Gauton put Loki down, his hand moving to grip Loki's shoulder. "I'm not disappointed that you killed me, I'm a little impressed actually. Not that it won't stop me from punishing you."

"Aw, how sweet." Hela grinned, baring her teeth, canines prominent. "Would you consider Gauton a father figure? I mean, he was vitally important to the man that you became to this day. It would give you some validation, wouldn't it?" Loki had closed his eyes. "He's speechless at all the important people around him. How touching." 

* * *

"I cannot morally approve of this journey," Tony and Steve followed Thor through the halls of the palace. "Hel is a very dangerous place, as you are both well aware."

"And Loki and Anya are both trapped there, we can't leave them there any longer," Tony argued. "They've been there too long already."

"I understand that as well." Thor turned to look at the two men. "They are both family, and I understand the care that you have for them, one of them is my brother, the other the granddaughter of my brother. But I would rather you give me the time to put together a plan to extract them."

"And how long would that take?" Steve asked as they started walking again.

"If you could give me a few hours I would be able to start then." Thor stopped by a door. "I will personally come and get you and we will work on rescuing them. You have my word, my friends." He put a hand on each of their shoulders and walked into the room, closing the door.

Tony let out a sigh and looked at Steve. "Go get Gabby, both of you meet me in my room in half an hour."

"Where are you going?" Steve asked, frowning a little.

"To secure us some transport to Hel." He shrugged and turned, walking away quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

**A****/N: I'm so so so evil. And yet, I'm not ashamed.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Anya followed Kasir to a private study, limping slightly. She thought the man had been just a healer but it turned out that he was a personal aide to the King, Sirtan. She walked in and bowed slightly to the man sitting behind the desk.

"So this is the Midgardian?" The older man looked up and leaned back in his chair a little. "what is your name young one?"

"Anastasia Rogers, sir," she answered in a clear tone. Although she had never been up to Asgard, she had been taught at least some of the courtesies for royalty. "Sir, I did not come with bad intentions, I'm actually here by a mistake."

"A mistake?" Sirtan frowned a little.

"I can assume a spell gone wrong," Anya rubbed the back of her head a little. "Sir, I have a request to go along with an explanation." Both men raised an eyebrow at her, and Sirtan nodded for her to continue. "I came from Hel, my Uncle was saving me after being kidnapped by Hela."

Sirtan held up a hand. "There was a lot of information in just that one sentence."

"Yes, I'm aware." She took a breath. "I am unaware of the entire story, it started a while before I was born, but Hela holds a vendetta against my family, my uncle in particular."

"Who is your Uncle?" Kasir asked first.

"Um, well, I feel I should use his official title." Sirtan raised his eyebrow quizzically again. "Let me see if i can get this right. My Uncle is Loki, Prince of Asgard, son of Odin, and brother of King-"

"King Thor of Asgard?" Kasir's eyes widened a little. "He's your Uncle?"

"Well, my Great Uncle to be technical. My grandfather is Balder of Asgard." She looked between the two men. "I know this is important, I know, but I'm not here in a royal capacity. I've been here for almost three days, meaning he's been in Hel for the same amount of time. The travel portal he had cast was interfered with by Hela and I landed here. My Uncle sacrificed his own safety to make sure that I escaped, and-"

"You would ask that we aid you in rescuing him?" Sirtan stood up from his chair. "I can not offer that kind of help-"

"No, I'm asking that you aid me in sending me back to Hel to find him," Anya interrupted him.

"I also can not do that." The King shook his head. "That would be sending you to your own demise."

"And I can not in good conscience sit here while I know that my Uncle is in danger." Anya gave him a hard look.

"Did you know that you have two prominent streaks of white in your hair?" Anya tucked some of her hair behind her ear as he mentioned it. "Do you know what that means?" She shook her head. "You have been touched by Death, spent too much time in the realm of the dead. I can not send you back there because you should not spend anymore time there."

Anya blinked then frowned. "What would happen if I went back?"

"If you went back, and it lasted more than a day," Kasir started, "there is a high possibility that you would not be able to leave there." Anya looked back at him, swallowing a little. "Being of both Aesir blood and Midgardian blood, the effect might be different, but no less severe."

Anya blinked and looked down. She was being told that she couldn't go back, couldn't help her Uncle, for her own safety.

"I'm sorry, my dear," Sirtan said quietly. "Now you see why I can not allow you to go back there. Kasir will show you to a room, and I will contact Asgard so that you can safely return home." he walked over and gently touched her arm. "I am sorry that I can not help your family, Lady Anastasia."

She nodded a little and Kasir put a hand on her arm. She bowed at the waist and followed Kasir down the hall. She noticed that Kasir was several inches taller than her, just like her dad, and his light brown hair was pulled back at the nape. She noticed that although his job titles inferred that he didn't see anything in the way of fighting that he had some muscles under his shirt.

"Kasir?" He turned his head to look at her as they walked. "Um, I know it might be a silly request, but is it possible that you could change my hair color?"

"I'm sorry, but I can not remove the white in your hair. They are-" He stopped when anya shook her head.

"No, that's not it," she smiled at him a little. "This black isn't my natural hair color, I changed it, it's actually blonde."

"Can you not just undo the spell?" Kasir opened a door and let her walk in first. She walked in and blinked. The room was quite large with a bed larger than the one she used to climb into with her parents when she was little. The room was decorated in teals and gold.

"Um, no," she pulled her eyes away from the room to look at him. "It's not actually a spell. We don't have spells like that on Earth. We use chemicals and dyes to change our hair."

"Interesting," Kasir nodded. He walked over to open a door showing her the bathroom and pulled open the curtains. The sun was about to set and she walked over to the balcony. "I believe that I can find a spell to remove the artificial color, yes."

"Wait," she called out to stop him before he left the room. "I know that you're not just a healer or a personal aide, you've seen some action. So you know all about taking risks to protect others. And I think you know where I'm going with this."

Kasir sighed and nodded a little. "I advise you to think carefully about this. The risks are very high."

"I'm aware," she nodded. "My Uncle risked a lot, he and my other Uncle both risked it. I'm the reason he's there in the first place." Anya took a breath and looked at him. "I've caused my family a lot of grief lately, and I want to help make things right."

Kasir watched her closely for a moment before nodding. "I'll go and get that spell for your hair first. Then we'll talk about how to go about this."

"Thank you, Kasir. Truly."

* * *

"You know what I like? That your hands are like motion sensors." Gabby and Steve glanced at Tony. "What? I'm just saying." Gabby's hands were glowing blue, to warn them when someone came near so they wouldn't get caught unaware.

They walked through the mist of Hel that Hela liked to cloak her realm in. Tony knew that Hela would find them, but he really just wanted to get out of there. Heimdal was watching them, after Tony had gone and had a talk with him. He was unaffected by any of Tony's charms, any of his tactics, but he did want to see Anya and even Loki come back safe from Hela. Once they found the two of them Heimdal would assist in a speedy exit.

"Wouldn't it be faster to call out to her?" Gabby and Steve were now glaring at him. "Ooh god, you've got that joint parent glare."

"Then take it for what it is, and shush," Gabby told him.

"You know, I'm older than you, and I'm your uncle," Tony retaliated.

"And I'm older than you, Tony," Steve told him. "And I knew your father."

"Now it's just getting weird." Steve rolled his eyes. Gabby stopped and held up her hand as it started to blink and Steve gripped his shield.

"You give me a headache." They head Hela's voice. Moving ahead a little more they saw her sitting on a block of ice, rubbing her head with a hand. "I'm kind of surprised that it took you this long to come here, but I suppose I shouldn't be, I'm sure you had to work tooth and nail to find a way down here." She turned her eyes towards them. "So how can I help you?"

"You know damn well what we want," Steve barked out.

"Tsk tsk, the good Captain has a foul mouth on him." Hela clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Well, I'm afraid I can only help you with one of the things you came here for. And really at that point, you're probably going to have a custody battle on your hands."

"What are you talking about, hag?" Tony looked at her, hand flexing around his portable repulsor.

"The girl left a while ago. I assume she didn't make it back to Midgard, so I did interrupt that spell correctly." She seemed to be talking more to herself before she looked back at the trio. "She wouldn't be able to travel again for a few days so she could be back home by now."

"Where's Loki?" Tony took a step forward.

"He's been visiting with some important people in his life. Would you like to see?" She smiled and motioned behind her. The mist started to clear and Tony tensed, his jaw tightening and he locked down his emotions. Lanhr was leaning against the same ice block and smirked.

"It's been a while pet." He chuckled when Tony didn't react. "Perhaps after you see this you'll reconsider the fate I had for you. It would keep you closer to your lover, after all." Behind him they saw Loki sitting on his knees, his legs folding underneath him, head down, arms at his sides. Then they saw the chain leading from his neck to the hand of an old man, elf like but something was different.

Tony's eyes widened a little when it clicked. "Oh fuck," he whispered. Fire filled his eyes then, anger and rage radiating from him. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy killing you all."

"That won't be so easy," Laufey said as he stepped up behind Loki. "We're already dead."

"And you're in my land," Hela said, smirking. "I can keep bringing them back over and over again. How do you think I broke him? This will be fun."


	12. Chapter 12

**A****/N: I'm so so so evil. And yet, I'm not ashamed.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"Kasir?" Anya pulled her hair up into a ponytail and glanced back at Kasir. He had indeed gotten her the spell to change her hair back, and helped her get back to Hel. But he had insisted on going with her. He had mentioned something about a code of honor, and protecting a lady. She made him promise to get back to Vanaheim if Hela proved to be too much. "Why did my hair turn white? Wouldn't it be grey or black if it was Death like?"

"I don't actually know the answer to that. I've never had reason to come and interact with the dead." Kasir looked at her as he walked next to her, hand on the sword at his hip, golden shield on his back. "Words from others, foolish enough to come down here without a mission."

Anya nodded a little. They had been walking around for a while, she wasn't sure how long though, time felt different to those who wandered down there. She had experienced it personally. Anya suddenly shivered and frowned. She glanced at Kasir and noticed that he felt it too.

"This isn't the same cold," Anya said. "I was here for a few days, I know it's not the same."

"We must be getting close to something. Stay close." Kasir pulled out his sword as they moved a little slower.

Anya looked forward and frowned a little. She put a hand on Kasir's arm and moved over. It was ice, that was what was causing the cold, but there was something in the ice. She felt her breath catch when she saw a very familiar red and blue shield in the ice.

"No, no no no," she murmured. She quickly moved around it and saw the shield up, Steve's around around Gabby, holding her close, trying to protect her. Kasir grabbed her arm and pulled her back before she could touch the ice. "Let me go, please, let me go. I have to help them. They came here because of me."

"That's Jotun ice, you risk becoming as frozen as them or losing an extremity." Kasir pulled her close to him. "You can not help them if you are hurt."

Anya's fist tightened a little as she looked at her parents, then nodded. "Let's keep moving then." Kasir nodded and they started walking again. They didn't have to move very far before they saw several ice pillars, broken spikes, blocks, everything scattered.

"You returned, did you miss me?" The two stopped and Anya turned to see Hela walking closer, the mist disappearing.

"What did you do to them?" Anya glared but Kasir kept her close.

"They came here of their own free wills," Hela said as she glanced back at the frozen couple. "Looking for you, of course. You know, I notice something similar between you and your Uncle. A need to please those around you, to keep those safe those that you constantly disappoint." Hela looked back at Anya. "Tell me, how does it feel? To be helpless, hopeless, caught?"

"Let them go," Anya growled, jaw tight.

"Now, which them?" Hela tilted her head a little and the mist cleared even further around them. She saw Loki on his knees, a chain tethered from his neck to a pole. Tony wasn't too far away, lying on a block of ice, but there was a tall elf next to him, his hand on Tony's head, hand glowing magenta with a spell. "Lanhr, let your friend up to see who's here."

The elf smirked and removed his hand. Tony suddenly gasped for breath and sat up. Lanhr grabbed his shoulder before he could move off. "Have fun in your memories? Been a while since you've had nightmares about that cave, isn't it?"

"You son a bitch, I'm going to-" Lanhr grabbed his chin and turned him to look towards Anya and Kasir. "Anya!"

"God, Uncle Tony, I'm so sorry." She took a breath and looked at those around her. "Kasir, get out of here."

"I'm not leaving, not now." He shook his head, staying by her side.

"How disgustingly cute," Hela gagged. "Lanhr, do you want her?"

"I would like to give Gauton the option first." He smirked and Tony jerked in his grip. "Settle down, settle. I'm sure she'll be interesting enough to train."

Anya frowned as another man stepped out. He had long brown hair, was tall, elven like, but not. He passed by Loki, his hand gently sliding across Loki's head and cheek. She took a step back into Kasir as he walked closer. They both jumped and turned when there was an intense chill behind them and her eyes widened when she saw a Frost Giant behind them.

Laufey grabbed Kasir suddenly and threw him. He hit the ice and slumped to his knees, a little bit of blood dripping down his forehead. Laufey grabbed Anya's arm and pulled her over to Gauton. She tried to twist in his grip, dragging her feet, beating on his arm with her other hand. "Let me go!"

"Stop!" Tony tried to slide on the ice but Lanhr kept a tight grip on him. "Don't do it! Leave her alone!"

Anya looked up at the Fae as they stopped moving and straightened her back, lifting her head. "she faces it without fear. Most interesting indeed." He lifted a hand, glowing with brown magic and ran in front of her face, not touching. "And I'm not unfamiliar with the emotions inside. I can work with this, though. She won't be nearly as powerful as my prized pet, but," he smirked and shrugged a little.

"Stay away from her," Tony growled. "She's not a pet, she's nothing to you."

"You know, Loki said the same thing at some point," Lanhr said. "And look where he is now. Kneeling at his Master's feet."

"Don't do it, just let her go-" Lanhr pushed him back down on his back and put his hand back on his head, starting a spell sending him back into memories.

"Sorry about that, he'll stop talking now." Lanhr gestured with his other hand for them to continue.

Laufey let go of her and Gauton ran a thumb down her cheek. "You have a strong connection with your Uncle, this is obvious, so I'll do you a favor." He grabbed her chin and pushed her down to her knees in front of Loki. "I'll let you see what's going to happen to you." He let out a snort and took a few steps away.

Anya looked at Loki and felt her eyes mist up a little. "Uncle Loki? Please, help us," she whispered, leaning closer. "I'm sorry I came back, but I had to. And now Mom and Dad, and Uncle Tony are here, and it's not good. Please, we need you, I need you Uncle Loki. Please."

* * *

Thor waited inside the bifrost with Heimdal as it carried it's traveler. he wasn't looking forward to it. He saw the familiar form of his brother, including a familiar glare.

"Why was I not informed earlier!" Balder had barely gotten his full balance before he was yelling. "That's our family! This should have been ended earlier."

"It's Hela, Balder, and she's had time to hide from us," Thor kept his calm as he spoke. "she managed to sneak to Midgard to make contact with Anastasia, and then kidnap her." He took a breath, readying himself for the next part. "I asked Anthony, Steven and Gabriella to wait for me and we would make a plan to save Loki and Anya."

"And now all of them are in Hel," Balder growled.

"I regret to say that I lost sight of them after a time," Heimdal spoke up before the two could continue. "I believe it to be the time that they encountered Hela. I know that she's not able to work this alone, but I can not say with who, or what."

Balder rubbed his eyes letting out a growl. "So, what is your plan now, Thor?"

"We will of course be-" He stopped and the brothers looked over as Heimdal suddenly moved and dropped his sword to activate the bifrost again. "Heimdal?"

There was a dull thud and they looked over as a mass of people landed on the flower. Six to be exact. Tony, Loki, Steve, Gabby, Anya and Kasir.


	13. Chapter 13

**A****/N: Even I'm not sure what's still in store for everyone.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Anya turned around and swung her fist at person connected to the hand that grabbed her shoulder. Lanhr grabbed her wrist and raised an eyebrow. "She's feisty this one." Gauton walked over, nodding.

"Yes, I expected as much. They're so much more fun when they aren't compliant." He shrugged. "I think I'll start with a small test, to see how she handles it. My power is still different than yours." He pulled Anya to her feet and backed her up to an ice block. "This will probably hurt, being part Midgardian."

She watched as he opened his palm, a small brown orb in it. He lifted it, let it roll to his fingertips and placed it gently on her chest. As he pulled his hand away it didn't move and he smiled then pulled both hands away and took a step back. Anya frowned then moved her shoulders a little whens he felt a burning sensation. She gasped and reached for the orb but pulled her hand away when it burned. Letting out a little whimper she fell to her knees, the orb sinking into her chest.

"Stop, please make it stop." She sucked in a breath as the pain started to spike through her body, letting out a little shout of pain. A ringing started in her ears and she closed her eyes tightly. She needed to fight through it, to push through the pain. If she could get through this she could be one step closer to helping the others.

A hand grabbed her arm and she pulled back, eyes shooting open. She blinked and looked at Kasir was in front of her pulling her to her feet. He was moving his mouth but the ringing in her ears still blocked the sound of her voice. She frowned but stood up. When she looked around everything was different.

Ice was shattered all over the ground, and she swore that she saw blue skin in the ice chunks. Tony was standing behind someone, hands by their neck, and she realized that it was Loki. Tony was trying to get the chain off of him and he was starting to remove the ice from her parents.

"-call Heimdal, we'll be out of here, that's what." She could hear Tony's voice, slightly muffled, but she could hear.

Loki suddenly turned and threw out a hand in Kasir and Anya's direction and Kasir pulled her down. A spike of ice shot over and when Anya looked over it was stuck in the middle of Gauton's chest. Ice started to spread, covering the fae, freezing him solid. Tony was there, pulling the two of them back over to Loki.

"Hold on tight we're getting the hell out of her, kiddos." She blinked as Kasir wrapped an arm around her waist, a bright light surrounding them, and she found the air a little thick then they were moving.

Tony blinked, one hand on Loki's back and he looked up and saw Thor and Balder. They both moved forward and he felt Loki's muscle tensed under his hand. "No no no," he waved his arm at the two to stop them. "Stop, don't move." The two stopped and Tony could feel the vibration of the growl in Loki's body. The two brothers stopped. "I'm going to leave with him please don't follow. You need to help the others, I can help Loki." Tony helped Loki up, keeping his hand on his back taking his other hand keeping a physical contact with him at all times.

Anya looked over and saw Steve and Gabby on their knees still close to each other shivering intensely. She tried to stand and Kasir helped her to her knees. She moved over and fell next to them wrapping her arms around them letting out a small sob.

"An-Anya?" Steve chattered out and pulled her in between them. "Our b-baby."

Kasir stood up slowly putting a hand to his head. He looked at Balder and Thor as they walked over and he bowed slightly. "Please forgive me for not giving the proper greeting but my head is not exactly stable."

"It is alright," Thor nodded to him. Balder walked over to the reunited family and Kasir watched them all interact.

He blinked a little and looked back to Thor. "I'm sorry, I'm Kasir of Vanaheim. I went with Anya to search for her family and to help her."

"You will be welcome to Asgard as a guest in gratitude for helping my family." Thor put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll shall escort you with the others to our Healers." Kasir nodded and looked back over at Anya. 

* * *

Tony led Loki to their rooms making sure to take any back way to avoid any contact with anyone else. He shut the door and led Loki to the bathroom. "Loki?" He asked softly as he moved to stand in front of him. "Babe? Can you hear me?" Loki's eyes were unfocused, wild, never looking at one place for long, never making eye contact with him. "Alright that's okay. I'm here that's all you need to know." Tony reached over with one hand and turned on the water. "We're gonna get you washed up feeling good as new, yeah?"

Tony took a breath, not like how Loki let him lead him, let him do things for him. He slowly started to take off Loki's jacket, then his shirt. "I don't know what they did to you, but you're away from them now. I'm going to help you." He rubbed Loki's cheek lightly. "There's a reason that you didn't attack me, because you know me. We are bound together, and I think that you can still feel that." He turned the water off and held onto his hands. "You need to tell me what kind of powers our son has, and teach him how to control them. You need to come back to me."

Balder had told him that last time, in Jotunheim, he did speak until the day before they found him Alfheim. He had stayed with Eindride, only letting him out of his sight to go and check on Steve and Nathan when he would go to sleep. But that that time the Jotuns hadn't tortured him quite as extensively as Hela had. No they didn't have access to Loki's fears and hatreds like Hela did. Tony wondered quietly if he would ever truly be able to pull Loki back from this.

He helped Loki into the tub gently and as he sat down Tony got to his knees to rub his back and help bathe him. He felt how tensed Loki was when they came through the bifrost, how when Thor and Balder moved he was poised to attack. Tony had a theory that Loki didn't actually see who they were, he was going off of instinct. The last time Gauton had him was for four months, and he had tortured Loki as he made him into a Fae. He had killed him in Hel because he knew that Gauton was his Master and that he should be dead for the things that he had done to him that was no fluke. Although Tony doubted that if he took Loki to the Healers to see Steve and Gabby that he would know who they were. No, Tony had to tread carefully now. But who better to treat someone damaged than a man almost as damaged.

Tony did have to wonder what happened to bring Loki out of his blind stupor though. It might have been Anya. He sadly had not been conscious to see how it happened, just knew what he saw when Lanhr's hand was removed, as he was released from the spell.

He sat up panting, looking around, and that's when he saw Loki grab Laufey's neck, He pulled him down ice freezing his head and shoulders before snapping the head off and throwing it at Lanhr. The Fae was gone before it reached him, though. Gauton was pissed, his hands were glowing and he was going for Loki's chain. The other man, Kasir he had told him, managed to push himself up and pulled his shield off of his back. He would get Anya, he had been tasked with her protection.

When Tony had stumbled to his feet he saw that Loki had blown Gauton back with a spell, and Hela and Lanhr were no where to be seen. Loki turned and caught eyes with Tony, and just stood there. Tony swallowed and started to move closer, hands up to show his peace.

"Loki it's me, it's your Tony," he had spoken softly. "I'm not gonna hurt you, but I need your help. Our friends need your help." He reached Loki and took one of his hands gently. He felt Loki's hand twitch start to pull away, but stopped. "Yeah, I'm good, that's me. Can you help me unfreeze Cap and Gabby?" Loki actually looked at him when he said her name and he knew that Loki was still in there. "You know, he's already been frozen once, I don't think he'd like to stay like that again."

Loki let him pull him over to the frozen couple. "You focus on that, and don't get excited because I'm gonna get this chain off of you. Then you know what's gonna happen? I'm gonna call Heimdal, we'll be out off here, that's what." He looked over and saw Kasir helping Anya, then saw that Steve and Gabby almost free, falling to their knees and shivering from the cold. He needed to get them all out of there. Now.

Tony sat behind Loki and brushed his hair out slowly. Tony knew that Loki was showing extreme trust if he was willing to let Tony be out of his sight and behind him. Tony knew how to do this dance. He was being given a chance, a small opportunity, from Loki to help him, and he wasn't about to waste it. He knew that neither one of them would sleep, not for a while. Loki was battling too much in his head, and Tony had too many fresh nightmares to contend with. He had to build Loki back up enough so that Eindride could come and see him. So that his son would know that they were both alright, to put him at ease.

Tony sighed silently as he gently ran his hand down Loki's arm. He had a lot of work to do, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to succeed.


	14. Chapter 14

**A****/N: **  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Anya woke up to the feeling of a hand running through her hair, another hand rubbing her arm. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up and saw Steve by her. He let out a breath of relief and smiled at her. "My little girl." He pulled her up and into his arms. Anya blinked when she felt his tears on her neck. She took a breath and held onto him tightly, closing her eyes, letting out a little sob. "I was so worried about you."

"But it's all my fault," she said through her tears. "If it wasn't for me no one would have been hurt no one would have been disappointed. I've torn this family apart." She hid her face in Steve's shirt as she cried. She couldn't understand how he could be so happy to see her, so glad to have her back when she had caused them all nothing but pain.

"What are you talking about?" Steve pulled her back a little to look at her, never letting go of her though. "Nothing is your fault, nothing. No one's disappointed, specially not in you. You had gotten away but you came back, which I don't agree with, but I'm your dad that's what I do when you do things that put you in danger. You came back to help us, to help all of us. You didn't tear this family apart, you've helped put it back together."

Anya looked at him, blurry in her eyes because of the tears and just let out another small sob. Steve hugged her tightly to him again, resting his cheek on her head. "I'm so proud of you, and nothing will change that, ever." For just a second she felt like a little kid again and let the warmth of his arms seep into her.

Kasir stood by the doors of the Healing hall. He had been watching Anya and Steve until she woke up, then silently stepped away, giving them their private moment. He couldn't say he wasn't concerned about her, but he would keep an eye on her for now.

Or until the King of Asgard and his brother approached him. "We appreciate the help that you've given our family," Balder spoke first. "We can also see the concern you should for my granddaughter." Kasir nodded. "Shall we go someplace more private to discuss this?"

The three of them left the room and headed for a study. The door closed and Kasir stood as Thor and Balder looked at him. "It is not hard to miss the physical change," Thor said. "Do you know how long she was in Hel?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the exact length, but too long," Kasir admitted. "She had been advised to return home, because it would too dangerous to return to Hel. After seeing her family, I can see why she refused to listen." Balder smiled slightly, taking it as a compliment. "I couldn't let her go alone not knowing that an unknown amount of danger would be waiting for her. I thought, also that perhaps if I were there to help it could keep her from staying too long."

"I fear that she may have stayed too long, but if that were so, then she wouldn't have been able to return here" Thor said and Kasir nodded.

"Perhaps you should tell us what happened when you arrived," Balder spoke this time. "It could help." 

* * *

Gabby knocked on the door before opening it. She stepped through and smiled at the small gasp. Bry ran over and she picked her up, hugging her. "Mommy! You're back!"

"I am munchkin, and so is Daddy, and so is Anya." Gabby ran her hand through Bry's hair and smiled. Chris and Eindride walked over and she smiled at them. "How about we all go see them yeah? I'm sure Anya would feel better if she saw you guys." Bry nodded and Gabby put her down. She squeezed Chris's arm a little and nodded, taking his sisters hand and heading towards the healers.

Gabby waited until they were out of ear shot before she rubbed Eindride's shoulder. "Your dads are back too, but I would give them a little time," she said carefully.

He gave a calculated smile and nodded. "They've been through a lot, I understand."

Gabby pat his cheek. "They'll be okay, and they'll come to you." He nodded and left to follow his cousins. Gabby walked out and was about to close the door when she saw Balder walking towards her.

"Can we talk, real quick?" He asked quietly, putting a hand on her back.

"It's about Anya, isn't it?" He nodded and she closed her eyes. They walked back into the room, a pit in her stomach. 

* * *

"Finally, someone I can annoy again," Chris grinned at Anya as Bry sat in her lap. "Bry's too young to pull any pranks on."

"I kicked him." Bry stated proudly and Anya laughed and Steve blinked.

"Wait, you what?" He looked between Chris and Bry, then up at Eindride. "Do I need to punish her?"

"He kind of deserved it," Eindride shrugged and Chris shot him a look.

"Traitor."

"You were going to put ink in my shampoo!" He pushed Chris's shoulder when the teen just smirked.

"Okay, I didn't exactly miss this," Steve rubbed the spot between his eyes. Bry pat his knee and he opened an eye to look at her.

"We make your life interesting," she grinned and Steve laughed.

"I can't argue with that." He smiled at the kids. He glanced back and saw Gabby standing at the doorway and smiled at her. His smile slowly started to disappear when she didn't return the gesture. He got up and walked over to her, taking her hand. She pulled him out into the hallway and held onto his hand. "What's wrong?"

"It's not good," she said quietly. She looked at him and Steve reached up to wipe at a stray tear. "There's a chance that Anya may not be able to come home."

"What?" Steve frowned. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I, not really," she shook her head a little. "But," she took a breath and Steve rubbed her arm. "She may have spent too much time in Hel. Baby, there's a chance that she could die because of it."


	15. Chapter 15

**A****/N: **  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony look at Loki, sitting across from him on the bed, and reached forward to run his hand through Loki's hair. "Okay, so we're gonna eat something today. It's been two days, and you were already a bean pole, and I'm not going to let you lose anymore weight." Loki had started keeping eye contact with Tony but still wasn't talking.

Tony grabbed half of a sandwich and took a bite before putting it in Loki's hand. "Okay, that's actually pretty good. I mean, I know that doesn't exactly mean much, cause sometimes I'll eat almost anything." Tony shrugged a little and leaned back on his arms. "I hardly look at what I eat when I've been working, but that, that is good." He smiled a little when Loki took a bite.

There was a knock on the door and Loki sat up a little more and Tony put his hands on Loki's knees. "Hey, it's alright. Just someone at the door, I'll get it don't worry." He kissed Loki's forehead and slowly got off the bed. "You just take a few more bites, cause I'll keep talking if you don't."

Tony opened the door and blinked a little then smiled. "Hey, stranger." Eindride hugged Tony tightly from the door.

"How's Dad?" He noticed how Tony kept the door open enough so that Loki could still see him.

"Well," Tony glanced back. "He's eating the food brought in today so it's progress." Tony suddenly pouted and looked back at Eindride. "He ate my half of the sandwich." He looked at his son and blinked a little. "What's going on? Something's happening outside this room."

Eindride made a little face. "Yeah, something's happening. Something big."

"And not good." Tony rubbed his face a little. "Okay, not a conversation for the hall. Alright, come on." He took Eindride's arm and he blinked a little. "We're gonna move slow, but I think this is good, and then we can talk."

"Are you sure? I mean, yeah god I wanna see him, but I don't want to set him back," Eindride blinked as Tony started to pull him in.

Loki looked up fro the plate of food and looked at the two men. He looked at Eindride and slowly blinked, then looked at Tony. "Let him make all the first moves," Tony whispered. Loki slowly got up from the bed and walked over to them. Loki reached out one hand and Tony grabbed it, intertwining their fingers as Loki looked at Eindride. His gaze softened a little warming up, and he reached out to take Eindride's hand. Tony blinked then his eyes widened a little.

Tony gasped as he was suddenly seeing through Loki's eyes. They were back in Hel, fighting and then there was Laufey, over and over again, Gauton in front of them. Tony blinked his eyes wide and looked over to see Loki was the one who had pulled away. Eindride had backed up against the wall panting.

Tony swallowed and put his hand out to get his balance. He went to move towards Loki but blinked when Eindride was there first, arms wrapping around Loki. Tony froze as he watched Loki carefully.

"Dad, I need you," Eindride said into his chest. "Dad needs you, Emma and Kaia need you. We all do. We love you, our lives wouldn't be the same without you, we want you here with us."

Loki was breathing heavily, body stiff from the sudden contact. He looked down at the teen against him then slowly wrapped his arms around him. He hugged him close and closed his eyes. Tony let out a breath and let his knees carry him to the ground again.

"Anders, your powers suck sometimes." Tony breathed out and let his head drop back against the wall.

The three had gathered back on the bed, Loki's back against the headboard, Tony was half tucked under his arm, long fingers combing through his hair. Eindride sat at the end of the bed snacking on the left over food on the plate that had been brought in earlier.

"So, before you came in here and accidentally used your powers to scar all of us, you said something was happening." Tony looked over at their son, mentally reveling in the actions and affection shown by Loki.

Eindride nodded and looked up at them before focusing back on Tony. "Steve and Gabby don't really want to come down here and ask, I can see it, they don't want to ask anymore of you but..." He rubbed his hands on his pants. "There's a chance that Anya won't actually be around for long." He cleared his throat a little. "I guess something happened to her in Hel, and it sounds like she could actually be dying." Tony blinked and he sat up a little.

"Dying? How?" Tony knew a few things about dying.

"From what I could gather, she had spent too long in Hel, and when she came back it didn't help." Eindride frowned a little. "Kasir said something along the lines that she was, touched by Death?"

Tony rubbed his temple a little as he thought. He didn't understand how the Realms worked, not yet, and he needed Loki's help, but that wasn't going to happen at the moment. He needed more time. "Okay, okay, let's see. Think Stark, there's a move to everything, and answer, looking for the right piece." Eindride raised an eyebrow as he watched Tony. "Hi, I'm your Dad and I talk to myself when I think. I'm a little crazy." Eindride snorted. "Okay, I think I have an idea."

Eindride leaned forward a little. "Take her back home for now, I'm going to stay here with Loki Thor and Balder, and this Kasir."

"What's going to change from here and back on Earth?" Eindride asked in curiosity.

"The time difference," Tony pointed out. "She won't be affected by whatever effects as fast, but we'll have more time to work something out." Eindride nodded a little. "How is she right now?"

"She's fine, spending time with the others right now, no sign of anything wrong yet." He rolled a grape between his fingers before eating it. "We're gonna help her, right?" He looked up at his parents. "I mean, we're gonna figure something out in time."

"We don't let family down," Tony told him. "We're going to figure something out." He leaned back again and let Loki's fingers run through his hair again. They were going to get things back to normal, Tony was going to make sure of it.


	16. Chapter 16

**A****/N: **  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Steve walked into the Healer's hall and saw Kasir helping Anya up from the bed. They were talking quietly but Anya smiled when she saw him. "Hey Dad, everyone else ready?"

"Yeah, just coming to get the last passenger." He smiled at the two of them. "Or passengers?"

"Unfortunately not yet," Kasir shook his head. "I had actually come to tell her that I've been asked to stay."

"I asked him to come back with us before," Anya said. "Just for a time, cause I thought that he would find uh, Midgard pretty interesting."

"I think I would," Kasir agreed. "I do plan on visiting once I'm not needed anymore, I'm most interested in the way that Midgardians do some things." Anya snorted a little and smirked.

"Then I'll see you in a little bit," she said to man. "The time difference won't seem like long to me." She smiled and Steve offered his arm to her. She wrapped her arm around his elbow and pat Kasir's shoulder. "Don't let my Uncles and Grandfather get you into trouble." This time Steve snorted.

As they walked down the hall Steve noted that Anya seemed to be leaning a little more on his arm than seemed natural. He rubbed her arm a little and she smiled a little. "I'll be fine, it's okay. We'll just wait for the good news to come later."

"You have your mother's optimism," Steve commented.

"Mom has an abundance of optimism?" Anya raised an eyebrow. "I thought the fire in her soul was enough to scare people into thinking on the bright side of life."

Steve snorted out some laughter and coughed. "You have your mother's fire, then."

"And your father's bad sense of humor," Gabby said as they turned a corner, hands on her hips. Chris was smirking as he held Bry's hand.

"I get the feeling that you're in more trouble than I am," Anya whispered to Steve and Gabby rolled her eyes.

"I'm raising another Steven Rogers in female form. I'm doomed." Gabby threw her hands up a little as she turned to grab their bags. "Utterly doomed." Steve smiled at Anya and they followed. 

* * *

Eindride found Kasir standing on a balcony, watching a waterfall in the distance. He raised an eyebrow and walked over, standing next to him. "Is Asgard much different than Vanaheim?" Kasir blinked and looked over at him. "I've only been up here a couple of times myself, so I can't make any comparisons to anywhere else, but I'm curious."

"Well, they say that the Vanir and Aesir aren't that different. This is my first visit to Asgard, but I think that Vanaheim would be more comparable to Alfheim," Kasir said as he leaned on the railing on the balcony. "But this is nothing I've ever seen before, I'm glad I was able to come and see this though."

Eindride nodded a little. "And you want to go and see Midgard right?" Kasir nodded. "For the new sights, or to see my cousin again?"

Kasir blinked and looked at him. "I'm sorry?"

"Well, I don't think you are," Eindride smirked. "I know I'm still young, 17, which is probably a hell of a lot younger than you, but I'm good at reading people. I get it from my parents."

Kasir turned to look at him a little more, then nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't see it before. How are you fathers fairing?"

"They're making some progress, thanks, but you're changing the subject." Eindride poked his shoulder lightly. "I have my Dad's stubbornness."

"Which one?" Eindride laughed and nodded.

"Fair question. So, again I ask, do you want to go to Midgard to see the sights, or to see my cousin?" Eindride turned to lean against the railing on his back. "I see my parents, I see my sister and brother in law, I see my Aunt and Uncle, I see the way they all act around each other, the ways they look at each other. You sir, have an attraction to Miss Anastasia Rogers."

"Is it that obvious?" He smiled softly.

"Only to a trained eye, or a teenager with a developing sex drive." Kasir looked at him, mouth slightly open. "What? Sometimes there's no filter between my brain and my mouth. I have no shame in this."

"Well, it won't matter why I want to go to Midgard until we figure out something to help her," Kasir said and looked back out.

"I can't wait to see you and Uncle Steve have the talk." Eindride cackled under breath as he walked away. "I want to record that." Kasir frowned a little. 

* * *

Tony cracked an eye open at the knock at the door. He opened his other eye and looked around. He was lying on the bed, Loki's arm wrapped around him, also asleep. There was another knock and Tony stretched his arms a little. This was the first time that both he and Loki had fallen asleep in five days.

He managed to slowly slip from Loki's arm, trying not to wake him up and grabbed a shirt from the couch. He slipped it on and opened the door to see Thor and Balder standing there. "Morning fellas," Tony ran his hand through his hair.

"It's late afternoon, Tony" Balder told him.

"Oh," Tony blinked a little. "Well, afternoon fellas. What can I do for you?"

"We were wondering if it was time to consult on the progress of our problem," Thor said rather diplomatically.

"That's an awfully nice way of asking if we're ready to come out of the room," Tony summarized. "Not yet, I'm sorry guys. I know that time is of the essence, believe me, but he's not ready yet."

"We understand that it will take some time, and-" Tony held up a hand to stop Balder.

"You do and you don't understand." Tony looked between them. "Loki was literally taken apart by all the worst things in his life, then pushed back together with no care. Then taken apart again. I'm doing all that I can to sort the pieces out. I just got him to keep eye contact with me a four days ago, I just got him to start eating again three days ago." Tony took a breath and leaned against the edge of the door. "He was made to feel and think that he was nothing, not worthy of anyone's attentions or concerns, that not even I would come to save him. I wait for him to make the dominant move, I want him to know that he's still in charge of his actions that it's his choice, and no one is controlling him. This isn't something to be counteracted in a couple of days."

Tony ran his hand through his hair and down his face. "This man is a part of my life and I wouldn't be able to live without him. I will do everything that I'm able to help, both Loki and Anya, but right now there is a very limited number of people who can help Loki. I'm only one man right now and as soon as I think of something I will let you know."

Balder nodded before Thor could say anything. Thor looked past Tony. "We will leave you, then. Come find us when you are ready." The two left and Tony blinked a little, thinking it was too easy.

Tony shut the door and turned then jumped a little when he saw Loki standing right in front of him. "Holy shit, Lo, you scared me a little. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but i thought you were sleeping. You should be sleeping, we both should, but you more-" He blinked and stopped talking when Loki put a finger over his mouth.

Loki ran his fingers through the short hairs above Tony's ear. "I am not the only one who needs care." Tony's eyes widened a little when Loki spoke. "You were also subjected to tortures."

"Shit, baby, you talked." Tony put his hands on Loki's cheeks. "This is huge, and-"

"Shhhh." Loki leaned his head against Tony's. "I know you're hurting." Tony blinked then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He wrapped his arms around Loki, pushing his face into Loki's chest.

"I was so scared when I found you," Tony whispered. "I wanted nothing but to kill them to get to you." Loki wrapped his arms around Tony, hands holding onto him. Tony let out a little sob into his chest and held onto him tightly. "I can't lose you, Loki."

Eindride smiled a little as he leaned against the wall outside their room, pulling an earpiece out. He pushed himself up and headed back for his room. "Now, I can stop feeling so sappy."


	17. Chapter 17

**A****/N: Sentiment**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Gabby ran around the house, jacket hanging off of one arm, a folder tucked under her other arm. Steve stepped out of the office and held up his hand, keys dangling from his finger. "Oh thank you!" She grabbed them and kissed him.

"You're not going to be late," Steve told her and took the folder from under her arm. He turned her around and help her put her blazer on right. "You've got three hours until your class, Chris and Bry are at school, and I'm home with Anya. Everything is taken care of, go to work."

"You're sure you're gonna be okay? I have two classes today, I won't be home until late," she said as took the folder from him. "You'll have to pick up the kids, and make dinner on your own."

"Alright, no more long trips to other realms for you." Steve said and started to push her towards the garage. "You apparently start to think that I'm incapable of household chores."

"You used to be," she titled her head back and smiled at him.

"Yes, and then we had twins, and then we had Bry, I think I've grown as a person," Steve retaliated. "It's been almost 18 years since we got married, I learned a couple things. Like how to not burn the house down when I cook."

"Do me a favor," She stopped in the doorway to the garage. "Bring Anya out to watch when you cook? She can call the Fire Department."

Steve's face deadpanned and he pointed out towards her car. "Go to work." She saluted, grinning, and threw her bag in the car. She waved as she started the car and backed out.

"Mom doesn't trust you, does she?" Steve turned on his heel, raising an eyebrow, and looked at Anya. "No need to give me that look, it's a fact of life." She smiled at him. He watched her leaning against a cane as she stood in the living room. They had been back for two days and Anya had been getting weaker, sick.

"You've been spending too much time with Tony," he pointed at her and headed for the kitchen.

"With Uncle Tony? Dad, you have just as much wit and snark," she said as she followed him, pulling up a chair to the island. "Not to give you too much credit, or make you feel like you're awesome."

Steve snorted and smirked as he pulled out some flour and a big bowl. "Be careful what you say next, I'm making blueberry pancakes."

"I mean, of course you Are awesome, was there really any question about it?" Steve laughed as he searched the fridge. "I mean come on, Captain America says it all, but being an awesome Dad-"

"Don't go overboard." Anya stopped and smiled. "Have I mentioned that I like the blonde being back?"

"We're a family of blondes, Dad," Anya smiled at him. "But, I will admit that I like it better than the black."

"So, we don't have to worry about you dying your hair again?" Steve set the bowl down on the island. Anya reached over and stole a blueberry from the batter and just smiled at him. "You're not filling me with confidence on the issue, Anastasia."

"Ooo, you pulled out the full name." She put a hand to her mouth.

"I could have used the middle name too," he told her.

"No, you pull out the middle name when I'm really in trouble, and there's no messing around. That's like parenting 101." Steve raised an eyebrow. "I can stir that if you want to get the pan ready."

"Can I trust you with the blueberries?" He slowly handed the bowl over to her.

"No, you can't, but do you have a choice?" Steve sighed and moved towards the stove.

"So, Kasir still plan on visiting?" Steve tried to ask casually.

"Oh my god," Anya almost dropped the spoon and looked up. "You're going to try and give me the sex talk aren't you?"

"What?!" Steve turned around, tips of his ear turning a little red. "Should I be?"

"No! Oh god no!" She shivered a little. "Mom tried to give me the sex talk last year, and that didn't go well either. I had Sex Ed in school, I think I'm good."

Steve cleared his throat a little, shuffling his foot a little nervously. "Are, um, are you, well, having-"

"No!" Her eyes widened a little. "No. Oh god, I don't think I want to be having this conversation with my Dad."

"I have to ask! I'm just concerned." Steve walked over and took the batter from her.

Anya nodded a little. "Yeah, yeah, you're just doing what a Dad has to do, I get it. It's just, weird." Steve snorted a little. "Although, I see other kids, and read the news, and really, I'm kind of glad, in a sense, that you did ask." Steve raised an eyebrow. "Means you care."

Anya got up from the chair and walked over to the bag off berries on the counter, leaning on the cane. "So, you can see that I like Kasir?"

"I could see that he likes you, and not just in a passing fancy kind of way," Steve said as he poured some batter into the pan. "I was going to ask, in a most likely awkward way, if you shared the interest."

Anya licked her lips a little, smiling, and nodded. "Yeah, I mean, it's like a little fluttering in my stomach, and I really enjoy his company. He helped me when he didn't have to, he could have easily just taken me back home because he knew that I didn't know how to do a teleport spell."

"Ah yes, he's a partner in crime," Steve said, chuckling a little. "Well, I haven't talked to him for very long, but he seems rather upstanding."

"Upstanding?" She looked over at him. "Dad, it's not the 1940's anymore." He cocked his head tot he side, giving her an unamused look. "Just wanted to make sure."

"Yes, he seems upstanding, if not a little old for you," Steve threw in.

"Hmmm, now doesn't that sound familiar?" She tapped her chin and looked pointedly at Steve. "How old was Mom when you two started dating?"

"Point taken, smart mouth." He flipped a pancake onto a plate and poured another one. "Well, I suppose we can explore the prospects later when he's actually here."

Anya licked her lips a little. "Do we have to?" Steve looked at her. "I mean,..." She watched him flip the pancake onto the plate. "Will we really have to worry about that?" Steve stopped and turned off the stove burner. He turned to look at her, but saw that she was staring at the ground kicking at the cane. "I mean, I've been here two days and I can't go to school because I can barely get around, and-"

Steve walked over and took her hand. "Nothing's going to happen. They're up there right now working on a-"

"But this is something that they've never been able to counteract before. There's a chance they won't make it time, it's very hard to cheat death." She took in a troubled breath. "It's okay, you know," she looked up at him, eyes a little wet. "I knew it could happen, I knew the risk, and it was worth it. And who knows, maybe some strings could be pulled and I could be your next kid, so all you have to do is get mom pregnant again."

Steve pulled her into a tight hug. She held onto him as tight as she could, letting her tears soak into his shirt. He ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm not going to let you go. You're my little girl, and you'll always be that."

After several minutes Steve took a breath. "I've never told you kids about what happened."

Anya sniffed and looked up at him, pulling away a little. "What happened when?"

"Back in the 1940's." Anya blinked, and looked at him. "Well, it's been a long time, and I think that you're old enough to hear about my past, without finding out from movies or books." Anya nodded a little and smiled a little, then offered him a blueberry. Steve looked at it then let out a laugh. "And I'll tell you about the first time that I met Uncle Tony, and almost killed him. it involved blue berries, oddly enough."

"Now that sounds like a story worth listening too."

"And completely classified, Captain Rogers." They both looked over to see a few SHIELD Agents standing outside of the kitchen. "We'd like to escort the both of you back to HQ to ask some questions about your recent trip." Anya glanced at Steve as he tightened his arm around her protectively. "It wasn't a request."

"You're not SHIELD," Steve said, not taking his eyes off of them. "So we won't be going anywhere."

"As I said," the man spoke again, smirking a little. "It wasn't a request."


	18. Chapter 18

**A****/N: Sentiment**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Eindride threw a shirt at Tony, frowning. "What? i'm just making sure."

"You can stop asking that question, though," Eindride told his Dad as he handed Loki his jacket. "You've already asked it about 5 times. If he wasn't sure he wouldn't have suggested it."

"Hmmm, I'm rather glad that you seem to have gotten some of your logic from me." Loki slipped his jacket on and Eindride smirked at Tony. "Unfortunately, you have gotten your ego from your father." his smirk disappeared.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Eindride turned to the look at Loki and Tony coughed as he tried to choke back a laugh. "I'm not sure if you're mind is as sharp- Ow!" He rubbed the back of his head when Loki smacked it as he walked by.

"It is so good to have you back, baby- Ow!" Tony frowned and rubbed his head from Loki's hand. "Still glad to have you back."

"I would have it no other way," Loki said as he walked out of the room.

Eindride looked at Tony. "It only took how long to get him back to physical violence?"

"Twelve days since returning to Asgard. I think it's a very big step, a painful one, but I'll take it." Tony shrugged and they walked out. Loki was standing in the middle of the hall, looking down at something. Tony and Eindride leaned forward and looked at what Loki saw. Heimdall and Kasir were walking away from them at a sedate pace, talking quietly.

"What's going on?" Eidride whispered.

"Not sure," Tony whispered back. "Heimdall doesn't usually come up from the bridge."

"Why are you two whispering?" Loki looked at them.

"So they don't hear us?" Eindride said, looking up at him.

"Heimdall can hear and see from different realms," Loki told him. "He can hear you no matter how loudly you talk." They looked over and saw that both Heimdall and Kasir had stopped and were looking back at them. Heimdall nodded slightly in respect and Loki nodded once back. "We're going to talk later, come on, we have a meeting to get too. Kasir will be joining us shortly." Loki turned and headed back down the hall.

"Okay, so he's still a little brusk, but we're making leaps and bonds," Tony said as they caught up with Loki. The three walked into Thor's private study and saw Balder and Thor waiting for them. Balder was up first, smiling at Loki.

"It's good to see you up and out of the room," Balder said, stopping a few feet away from Loki.

"Still think I'm insane?" Loki raised an eyebrow at him.

"There was a time when you were sane?" Loki smirked a little.

"I missed this banter," Thor smiled from his spot. "We're just waiting for Kasir now."

"Yeah, hey, so what's the story with Kasir?" Tony asked as he plopped down in the chair that Loki was standing next to.

"You mean other than the fact that he completely wants to, um, how would you say it here?" Eindride looked between the four in the room. "To court her? That's the polite way to say it right?"

"He wants to date Anya?" Tony sat up, interested. "Does Cap know? I mean, that's his first born, his little girl. I want to be there when they have that talk."

"That's what I said!" Eindride looked at Tony. They both smirked and Loki sighed.

"That is perhaps what he was talking to Heimdall about," Loki added.

"Why would he talk to Heimdall about it?" Balder raised an eyebrow. "He said he was the King's Aide in Vanaheim."

"Is Heimdall not from Vanaheim?" Loki sat down next to Tony, hand gently picking at some creases in Tony's shirt. Thor and Balder nodded. "Is it not odd that Kasir has strikingly familiar eyes?"

"Are you hand holding them to my identity?" They all looked over as Kasir walked in, shutting the door.

"Most of them in this room need the help," Loki answered, shrugging a little. "On a side note I would like to have a private conversation with you later." Tony looked at Loki with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course," Kasir nodded. "Shall we start?" Thor nodded and everyone else took a seat.

"Okay, I have a question, first," Tony started. "This is just happening to Anya right? I mean,Myself, Steve and Gabby were down there for an extended time, and the only white hairs I still have are caused by my kids and husband."

"I think I can answer that," Kasir offered when no one spoke up. "Lady Gabriella is half Aesir, correct?" Balder nodded to confirm. "And Lord Steven-"

"Don't call him Lord, it sounds really weird," Tony interrupted and Loki elbowed his side.

"Was born a full Midgardian? He was presented with the powers of the Aesir?" Thor and Balder nodded. "There is more natural Midgardian blood inside of Anya that was not protected by her Aesir status. Steven was protected by the gift of the Aesir that was presented to him, but it didn't fully pass on to their children. Anthony is protected by his Aesir gift, and the Fae powers presented from Lord Loki." Kasir looked over to Loki, Tony and Eindride. "Your children would also be protected from this problem, because of their Fae abilities. I'm sorry if I've touched upon a difficult subject, but I wanted you to know the truth."

"It's alright, I appreciate it though." Loki nodded to the younger God.

"How do you know so much about this particular situation?" Eindride asked. "Have you run into this problem before?"

Kasir sighed a little. "I have not seen it in person, but I've seen it. Some have come to Vanaheim seeking a cure from our Healers. We of course have not been able to help anyone." He noticed the slight tension. "But, none of the others had a a gathering of the brightest and strongest Gods to try and help them."

"Can't we just force Hela to reverse the process?" Eindride asked. "I mean, it happened in her realm, she caused it."

"And why would she do that?" Tony asked. "She wants nothing more than see all of us down there. There's no amount of blackmail or punishment that would make her do it."

"There's no telling what she would do," Balder commented. "To hurt all of us, again."

"She would subject her to endless tortures, most of them personally," Loki said quietly. Tony put his hand on Loki's knee. "And that alone is the reason we will not allow this to take her."

"I am confused on something though," Kasir spoke up. "If this has taken root, she should not have been able to leave Hel, but she has been able to travel here and back to Midgard."

"I believe that would be because of the power that Gauton used," Loki said. "The stray Fae power probably slowed the effects on her body, allowed her to travel. It will wear off though, and that is something that we don't want to see happen."

"Is she Fae now?" Tony asked, frowning. Loki shook his head.

"No, not from just that one encounter," Loki shook his head. "We won't have to worry about that." There was a moment of silence. "I have an idea, of what we could do, but it's not something that I would recommend, only as a last resort."

"Perhaps we can use this idea as something to springboard from," Tony suggested. "Something is better nothing. It's what I do when I'm working all the time."

Loki nodded. "Well, perhaps-" They stopped when the door was suddenly pushed open. Gabby was standing there, panting from running. Balder and Loki stood up right away.

"Someone took them, someone took Steve and Anya." She looked at the two men standing. "They took them from the house, and I thought I saw blood, and she's been getting worse." Her eyes started to well up. "Please help me."


	19. Chapter 19

**A****/N: Long chapter is long, and sad.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Steve took a breath and opened his eyes, wincing at the light. Something blocked the light and he turned his head a little to see a hand blocking the light. He winced but turned his head more and saw Anya leaning next to him.

"Don't move to fast, they hit your head pretty hard," she said softly. "I've been trying to wake you up for a while, I was afraid you would have a a concussion."

"Hmm," he nodded. "How long have we been here?"

"Almost a full day," she said slowly. "It's night time from my account, maybe 3am." Steve went to reach up but his arms stopped. He looked down and saw chains around his wrist and waist. He noticed that he was sitting on the ground, back against a wall. "They didn't want to take any chances." She turned the chains over a little and showed him some etching. "They're very informed, I think these are to try and stop anyone from finding us by a spell. I've seen some runes like these at the Tower before, and when I was up in Asgard."

Steve looked around, moving his head slowly when felt the throbbing pain on the side of his head. They were in small room, likely underground if the chill int he room was anything to go by, and two lights over head. There was one small bed in the corner of the room, on the other side.

"You should be sitting on that bed right now," Steve said when he spotted it. "I know it's probably a shit bed, but it's better than the concrete floor."

"I couldn't until I knew you were okay," Anya shook her head. "Anyway, they took my cane, and it's actually rather hard to get over there." She pat his leg a little. "So, they weren't SHIELD, who were they?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know. I didn't recognize a fighting style or any kind of weapons they used." Steve sighed a little. "It would be fantastic if this headache would go away."

"I think that your head would have to heal first," Anya said, looking at his head. "But it already looks better then several hours ago."

"Hmm, there's still hope for the pain to go away." He smiled a little. They heard the slide of metal and then a door from the wall opened. They both looked over and saw three men walk in. Two of them walked over and grabbed Anya's arms and pulled her up. Steve pulled on the chains and the third guy pushed back on Steve's shoulder.

"We just have a few questions, that's all." He spoke to Steve. Steve was watching the men as they held Anya up. He thought she was breathing a little heavily. "Answer them and we can get through this easily."

"I'm assuming that doesn't mean letting us go," Steve looked over at the man in front of him. "I'll answer yours if you answer mine."

"Hmm," the man smirked and looked back at the two men. "There seems to be something wrong with your daughter, isn't there?" Steve growled, hands fisting in the chains. "Is it a bone disease? An illness where she needs medication?"

"You're going to need medication when he gets through with you," Anya told him calmly.

"Big words." The man looked back at Steve. "You've made some interesting trips lately, I'd like to hear about them."

"I'm sure you would." Steve just watched him, face neutral. "I'd like to know who you are."

"Yeah, I'm sure you would." He stood up and started to walk away. He made a motion and the other two men started to follow, taking Anya with them.

"Hey!" Steve pulled at the chains and jerked forward. "What are you doing?"

"We'll give her back, when you give us answers. Simple as that." The man shrugged and held the door open. "I'll be back." He waved and left, shutting the door, locking it. Steve tightened his hands and tried pulling on the chains. Nothing budged and he growled in frustration. He was going to get out. 

* * *

Kasir opened his eyes and saw Gabby, Tony and Loki staring at him. "It's very disconcerting to see this in front of me."

"Well, when you're one of the only ones who can find them, we get a little ansty," Tony told him. "So you really are Heimdall's son, able to see things anywhere?"

"Not anywhere," Kasir corrected. "I wasn't able to get a specific location, but I did see them." He looked over at the expectant Gabby. "They are not critically injured, and I can get us to their general location." She nodded and grabbed her jacket as he stood up. "Didn't expect that this would be how I got to see Midgard."

"It's not that exciting, trust me," Tony said and pat his arm. 

* * *

Steve stared at the man in front of him. They had been staring for half an hour, neither one saying anything. He smirked a little and Steve kept himself from frowning. "She's dying, isn't she? Your daughter." Steve clenched his jaw. "She can barely move, and she's starting to wheeze. I'm sure you must be worried. You could see her again if you just talked."

"Telling you won't save her," Steve growled at him. "Letting us go so I can get her help will."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the man leaned back in his chair. "You thought that I was going to let you help her. I was going to let you see her before she died. This is a little embarrassing." Steve jerked and pulled at the chains again. "I've made you upset. Well, this isn't very conducive to the conversation I want."

He stood up and and Steve growled. They both stopped when the door opened. "I said that I didn't want to be interrupted."

"Sorry." Steve blinked when Tony stuck his head in. "I didn't get the memo, but then again my priorities don't match with yours." The man glared and Tony moved at the same time. Tony ducked under a punch and threw his elbow out, catching the man in the stomach. His hand grabbed Tony's arm and twisted it a little. Tony grunted and kicked out at his knee.

Steve was suddenly distracted when there was someone at his wrists. "Chris?"

"Like I was going to let them come without me," he grinned as he worked a key into the padlock. it fell off and they both started unwrapping the chains. "Mom, Uncle Loki and that guy pining after Anya went to go find her."

There was a grunt and they looked over as Tony closed his hand, covering what looked like his portable repulsor. The man was on the ground, unconscious. "I set it to stun, he'll be out, not dead, so we can question him later." Tony slipped off the repulsor as Chris helped Steve stand up. "Eindride is with Bry right now, and I think that the others have found Anya by now."

Steve was up and practically out the door before Chris and Tony. "Did you guys figure out a way to help her?" Steve asked as they moved down the hall.

"Loki said he has an idea, but we didn't get a chance to hear it," Tony told him. He stopped Chris and gave him a look. He sighed and went back to find Eindride and Bry. "I'm not sure how good it's going to be, though."

"If it saves my girl, I'm willing to do it," Steve told him. They saw Kasir outside of a room and hurried over. He looked at them and Steve ran into the room.

Inside the room he saw Anya lying on a mattress on the floor, Gabby holding onto her hand. She was breathing shallowly, but her eyes were open. Steve moved quickly to the other side, taking Anya's other hand and she smiled a little.

Tony and Kasir moved over to Loki. He looked at Tony and shook his head a little. "The Fae magic has worn off, she's deteriorating quickly. We don't have much time."

Gabby turned her head to look at Loki. "You have an idea, what is it? I need to know. Tell me how to save our daughter." Anya winced and coughed.

"We could replace Hela," Loki said quickly. "To remove the threat of Hela, we remove her from her position of power, demote her."

"You were totally right," Tony muttered. "This is a last resort plan."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Steve looked up at them.

"Anya would become the new ruler of Hel," Loki told him. Steve's eyes widened. "If she were to rule over the realm then she wouldn't be affected, and she would have the full powers of a Goddess and the Realm. She would be able to go to any realm, she wouldn't technically be bound, she wouldn't be a prisoner."

"So she wouldn't die? We could stop this?" Gabby asked. Loki looked at her and shook his head a little. "But, you just said-"

"She would still die, I'm afraid. But it wouldn't be permanent, per say," Loki tried to explain. Anya took a deep gasp and Loki frowned. "Anya would be the equivalent of Thor in Hel, complete with like powers."

"Kasir, ask your father to get Thor and Balder down here now," Tony leaned over to whisper to the man. He looked away from Anya and nodded, hurrying out of the room.

"There has to be a way to stop this, without her dying," Gabby shook her head as she held onto Anya's other hand. "There has to be, we can stop this. We've stopped other stop before! Not my baby, not my baby, please."

Tony looked at Loki and took his hand. They backed up a bit to give them some space.

Anya squeezed their hands slightly and smiled a little through her rasping breaths. "It's okay," she nodded a little. "Risks, worth it." Gabby bit her lip to keep herself from crying out loud. "Mom, it's okay." Gabby nodded a little, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Steve brushed her hair from her face and Anya turned her head to look at him. "Tell me, your story? Later, yeah?"

He nodded and took a breath. "Yeah, of course. I promised it," he said, voice thick with tears. "You just gotta stick around to hear it, baby girl."

"Rain check." She squeezed his hand again. "I can do this. Trust me."

Loki put a hand on Gabby's shoulder as they walked back over. "We must do this now, darling," he said gently. He glanced over at Steve then back at his niece. She sniffed and nodded once.

Thor walked over, Tony, Balder, and Kasir standing behind. "I've been told of the plan, and it is possible."

"I hear a but coming," Tony stood a little straighter.

"She wouldn't be able to go down there alone," Thor glanced at Tony then to Loki. "She hasn't been raised with full powers, like we were in Asgard. If I were to send her there with full powers it would overwhelm her. Someone would need to go with her." Thor looked at Steve and shook his head when he saw him about to talk. "Someone who is experienced in their powers."

"I'll do it," Kasir said quickly and the others turned to look at him. "I'll do it, I'll go with her."

"Kasir," Balder stepped forward. "This isn't just a temporary thing. It's permanent, it's Hel."

"I'm aware," he nodded. Anya closed her eyes as he breathing shortened. "There isn't a lot of time, and I'm positive in my decision." Thor looked at him then nodded. Kasir walked forward and knelt down by her hand, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"You are going to be with our first born," Steve looked at Kasir. "We are charging you with her well being, because we cannot be there."

"I take this responsibility very seriously, sir," Kasir said, looking him in the eye. "You have my word that I will take care of her."

Thor leaned over and put his hands over one of Kasir's, so he was touching both of them, both hands glowing. "Once this happens, you will be sent to Hel. The powers will work on their own from there." Kasir nodded. "You will feel a discomfort, don't fight it." The power started to spread from Thor's hands, spreading onto Kasir and Anya, seeping into them. Kasir closed his eyes, clenching his arm muscles.

Steve had moved and wrapped his arms around Gabby from behind. They watched it happen, the powers covering them. There was a bright flash as the two disappeared. Gabby turned in his arms, letting out a sob into his chest. He took a shuddered breath and held onto her, putting his on top of hers. He rubbed her back as he let his tears flow.

"She's going to be able to come back now," he said quietly. He wasn't able to think, all the words he thought would come to him didn't. All he knew was that his first girl, his little girl, was gone. She'd never be the same, never be like the normal teenager that he had hope she could be, the one who'd go to prom, start driving, start applying to college. He closed his eyes tightly.

Chris sat in the chair, staring forward, not hearing what Eindride and Bry were saying. Things didn't feel right to him, didn't feel right at all, and the others were taking too long in the room. When he saw Thor and Balder come with Kasir and hurry into the room he thought he would be sick.

He stood up when the door opened and only four people walked out. He caught Tony's eyes and frowned. He walked over as Tony held the door open for him. He looked in and saw his parents then looked back at Tony.

"Anya will be running Hel," Tony said quietly. "She will probably be gone for a while." Chris sniffed when he felt a stinging tingle run down his nose. "This was the best solution that we could come up with. It's going to be hard to explain to Bry." Chris swallowed as he started blinking, trying to clear the tears that was starting to form.

"Yeah," he said then cleared his throat. "Yeah, it will be, but we'll figure something out." Tony nodded to the room and Chris walked in. He watched as Chris made a beeline for Steve and Gabby. He felt Loki come up behind him.

"When Kaia and Nathan were gone for six months, I thought it was the worst thing that would ever happen," Tony said quietly. "I can't even begin to imagine what they're going through." Loki rubbed his arms.


	20. Chapter 20

**A****/N: Have fun with this chapter!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Kasir blinked and took a deep breath. He looked around to see churning mist around them. Obviously in Hel, and Hela was pissed. He suddenly gasped and doubled over, feeling a sharp pain in his stomach. "Anya? Can you hear me?" He looked at her, her eyes closed but breathing no long labored. He let out a shout and grabbed his stomach as the pain got worse.

"I suppose I should be happy that your in pain." Kasir looked up when he heard the angry voice. Hela was walking over to the them, eyes narrowed, glowing red, hands in fists. "But, now that I know what you're trying to do, I find I lose the joy in seeing you like this." She kicked Kasir's chest, sending him onto his back. "Do you even know what's happening to you as you try to steal my Realm?"

Kasir groaned and rolled over a little, trying to push himself up. Hela kicked his side, rolling him a couple of times. "You're Dying. You have to be Dead to rule over Hel. But do you think I'm going to let that happen? This is My Realm!"

"If it were still your realm, you would have stopped this, and killed me another way." Kasir rolled away from her.

"I can still get rid of you," she hissed as her hands started to glow. He looked behind her and saw some figures rise up. She still had some power over the dead. "I will take back what is mine!"

"It isn't exactly yours anymore." Kasir looked behind to see two men standing there. One in a suit, one in all black with an eye patch. Hela's eyes narrowed at them. "I'm usually not a fan when there's a change in the chain of command, but I'm okay with this."

"You shouldn't even be here," Hela growled. The guy in the suit helped Kasir to his feet. "I buried so far down that you shouldn't even remember you existed!" Kasir grit his teeth and closed his eyes as a wave of pain wash through him. He leaned against the man a little more. He took a quick gasp and his eyes shot open as he felt everything stop, a chill settling in his bones.

"We haven't been known to follow rules." The two men turned to Kasir. "Fury, this is Coulson," the man said to Kasir. "We stand behind this regime change. You dead yet?"

Kasir put a hand to his chest and took a breath. "Well, I feel a little cold and rather odd, so I believe so."

"Good," Fury nodded and turned to look back at Hela. "Then let's get Anya over here and finish this."

"You two are nothing but children, and you want to have power." The figures stepped closer to her. "And I'm standing between you and finishing this. The two of you were given the power, but if there's only one of you, well, "she shrugged. "I can't be held responsible for what happens then."

"I wouldn't worry about that." They looked over and saw Anya standing, a tall red head behind her. Coulson smirked a little. "I don't think that anything is going to happen." Hela hissed and the souls around her ran at the girls. Kasir moved but Coulson grabbed his arm.

"I wouldn't worry about them. They're family," he smirked.

The mist on the ground shot up around them, and when it started to settle only Anya and Pepper Potts were left standing there. "Hela, we can either do this the hard way, or you can just surrender."

"I will not surrender to a child!" Her hands started to glow bright red, the area charging with power. Anya put one foot in front of her, licked her lips, getting into a fighting stance.

"I'm so glad that you decided to underestimate me." Anya grinned and her hands started to glow a bright blue. Kasir walked up next to her, his hands glowing dark green.

"Underestimate us." Kasir said. The air crackled with electricity, sparking in bolts.

Pepper had moved and was standing next to Coulson. "Please, don't tell me that you're going to fanboy."

"Nope, I won't tell you," Coulson smiled a little. "She looked so much like Steve there."

"I can't believe I'm stuck with you people down here." Fury sighed.

Kasir's hand went down as Anya threw her hand out, their power leaping out at the same time. Hela put her hands out creating a net. It wrapped around their power and she tried to hold onto it. She snarled as she stumbled back a little, then turned and threw it back at them. The two simply sidestepped the attack.

"You're weak, Hela, just give up," Anya told her. "Your plans have backfired, there's nothing you can do."

"They didn't backfire, they just didn't come to the inevitable conclusion." Hela took a breath, watching them. She could feel her powers getting weaker, the two were getting to strong as they worked together. "Tell me, how does it feel, knowing that your short life was effectively ended?" Anya glared at her. "That you will be down here, that you are dead, that you will never be able to return to your previous life. Your life, is Over."

"And so is yours." Kasir had moved closer to Anya, their powers merging between them instinctively, naturally. 

* * *

Gabby sighed as she looked through her closet. "None of these clothes look right."

Steve laid his blazer on their bed as he walked over to her closet. he started to rub her shoulders a little, kissing her head. "I thought you had an outfit picked out last week?"

"I'm a woman, Steve," she tilted her head to look at him. "I change my mind about my shoes three times in one minute."

Steve moved his arms around her waist. It had been four months since everything had changed, since Anya had left, and he noticed that as Christmas came closer, Gabby became more agitated. "The others will be here soon, and the food is ready. It's going to be fine and no matter what you wear, it will look great on you." She leaned back against him and put her hands on top of his. "We'll get through this." Gabby nodded a little.

"You're too good to me, sometimes," Gabby said as she rubbed his hands. "Alright, I'll pick something out." They heard the doorbell. Then someone pressing the doorbell in some kind of rhythm. "I'll pick something out and you can go and greet Tony at the door."

"He makes me question why we had a doorbell installed," Steve sighed. He kissed her lightly before grabbing his blazer and leaving.

Steve licked his lips a little, slipping his jacket on over his red shirt. He opened the door and Tony stood there grinning, finger still pressing the doorbell. Loki was looking up, like his patience had already been tried by the man, and Eindride was next him, trying not to laugh out loud. Loki had probably hit him for laughing out loud and encouraging Tony. Steve reached out and grabbed Tony's wrist.

"Hi, Tony." Tony grinned at him. "Loki, Anders, please, come in."

"Thank you for stopping the incessant ringing," Loki said as they walked in.

"Oh trust me, it was no problem at all," Steve said as he let go of Tony's wrist. "Chris is up in his room," he said to Eindride. "Please don't ruin both of your clothes, because we're eating soon!" he called as Eindride hopped up the stairs.

"Who else is coming?" Tony took off his jacket and took Loki's before hanging them up.

"Clint said he was coming," he said as they headed to the living room. "Bruce is out of the country, and I'm not actually sure where Natasha is."

"There are more chairs than needed at the table," Loki commented as she sat down on the couch.

"Clint actually has a guest coming," Steve told them. Tony's eyebrows rose very high. "I know, but he won't say who it is, just asked if he could bring someone."

"Okay, I'm Very interested now," Tony said as he sat down next to Loki, almost sitting in Loki's lap. Steve and Gabby had noticed that Tony and Loki were physically closer now, but Loki seemed almost back to normal on the outside.

"I would be very surprised if you weren't," Gabby said as she walked in the living room. Tony leaned a little and held his arms out, wiggling his fingers. Gabby snorted then walked over and hugged him. "You're very nosy, Uncle."

"I can not deny this," Tony nodded. "So when is our little bird supposed to get here?"

"I've asked you not to call me that." They all turned when they heard Clint's voice as he came in through the kitchen.

"Which do you prefer?" Tony turned, leaning over the back of the couch. Loki made a noise when he accidentally kneed his side. he reached out and pushed him over the edge, onto the floor. "Ow, hey!" Loki rubbed his side a little. "So, where is this mystery person? Guy or girl? Avian maybe? Come on Barton, spill it."

"Clint?" A voice called out. A female voice. "I know you didn't just leave me alone to carry these presents in." Tony grinned up at Clint.

Clint looked at him for a second before he hurried back out to help the mysterious voice. Tony laughed and Steve and Gabby blinked a little. "Well, this is actually very interesting." Loki smiled.

Clint walked in and put down a small pile of presents in the living room and took another small pile from someone else, putting them down. The other four blinked when they saw who Clint was with. She had long red hair, bright blue eyes, flats that made her only half an inch taller Clint, and a smile that said that she gave Clint a run for his money. "This is Lee. Lee, this is Loki, Gabby, Steve, and Loki's husband down there."

"Hey. I have a name," Tony pouted. Clint raised an eyebrow at him.

"The three kids are here too, somewhere," Clint said to Lee, ignoring Tony.

"Can't wait to meet them," she smiled. "You have a really nice home," she said to Steve and Gabby. "Thank you for letting me come."

"Oh, really, it's no problem," Gabby smiled at her. "It's really just really, really, really, nice to have another woman here."

"I think she's talking about us," Tony said as he stood up. Gabby looked at him then back to Lee. "Ouch, that look hurt a little. So, Lee, how do you know our little Clint?" Clint glared at him a little.

"We've been working together," Lee told him, despite Clint trying to not let Tony talk to her.

"And how long have you two been involved?" Loki asked and Clint's head whipped around to look at him. "Ah, you were focusing too much on trying to not let Tony embarrass you that you completely forgot about me." Clint looked at him then pointed at his eye. "Yes yes, a promised arrow, I have not forgotten." Lee looked at Clint with an amused smirk. "Miss Lee would you like to sit on my other side at dinner?"

"Oh, he's very polite, it almost makes you forget that he's going to weasel a lot of information out of you." She chuckled and nodded. "I'd be happy too sit next to you."

"And where are we supposed to sit?" They all turned to look at the entrance to the dining room. "You're missing two chairs."

Gabby let out a breath then ran over, pulling a smiling Anya into her arms. Steve grinned and walked over. Kasir was standing behind Anya and smiled at Steve. "I've been informed that it's almost a crime to miss this holiday."

"In this family it is." Steve smiled and nodded. He looked at Anya as Gabby managed to let her go, smiling at him with tears in her eyes. "Hey baby." She hugged him tightly and he held onto her.

"Hey, Daddy," she said quietly. "You cooked, right?" She asked and looked up at him. Steve laughed and hugged her tightly again.

"Oh, we've missed you, so much." Steve kissed the top of her head, grinning.


	21. Chapter 21

**A****/N: Short and kind of fluffy :D**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Steve hadn't let go for more than 5 seconds before something jumped past him and onto Anya. Her eyes widened and she fell to her back, letting out a yelp. Chris was above her, grinning. "About time you came back. Who do you think you are? Someone important?"

"Important enough to be born before you," she grinned back at him. She grabbed his arm before her could try to rub her head with his knuckle and then flipped him to put his head in an armlock. "Ha!"

"What the hell just happened?" Chris blinked when he was looking up and couldn't move.

"You got bested, by a Girl." She let go and pushed his head before pushing herself up, then reaching out to grab his arm and pull him up.

"What did just happen?" Tony asked Steve.

"It's a weird twin thing they have." He shrugged, watching them with a smile. "They've never destroyed the house or broken a bone, so we've never questioned it." Kasir had walked over to them and Steve smiled at him. "Thank you for watching over her."

"I believe you personally charged me with the her well being." Kasir smiled softly at him. "Like my Father, I take my oaths and promises seriously."

"And being attracted to her doesn't hurt," Tony murmured and both men shot looks at him. "What? Just saying," he smiled.

"Anya!" Bry practically flew into the room and into Anya's arms, hugging her tightly. "You're back!"

"I am." Anya hugged her back. "Ooo, I missed you squirt."

"I'm not a squirt, I'm getting bigger everyday!" Bry grinned up at her sister. She squealed when Eindride tickled her neck. "Help me Anya!"

"How long are you able to stay?" Gabby wrapped her arm around Steve's waist, looking at Kasir as Anya tickled Bry, Eindride and Chris watching.

"We're able to say for a couple of days," Kasir told them. "Luckily since the time flow is different there from Midgard we've had more time to start, um, cleaning up for lack of a better term, from Hela's rule. Things will be stable in Hel while we're here."

"Best present of the holiday." Gabby and Steve rubbed her side. 

* * *

Gabby and Anya were sitting on the couch, Gabby's laptop between them. Steve came downstairs and raised an eyebrow when he saw them. They were talking in hushed tones, planning something. Steve didn't like it. Kasir walked over to Steve before he could get closer.

"If I may, there's something I'd like to ask you now that everyone is gone," Kasir looked at him and Steve blinked a little.

"Sure," Steve motioned for him to follow towards the dining room.

Steve noticed that Kasir was almost standing at attention, back straight, hands clasped behind his back. "I'd like to you ask something that's important to both Anya and myself. I know that there is a time difference, and that in both instances time has been short since we've known each other, but sir, I love your daughter." Steve watched him carefully. "Very much so, and I would like to ask your permission for her hand in marriage. Both one recognized by the other deities of the Nine Realms, and a one recognized here on Midgard."

Steve blinked. He was surprised but not surprised, he should have seen it coming, but it was still someone asking to marry his daughter. "I suppose that it would be hard to argue that you love her after you willingly went with her to Hel. I think that she would be happy with you." He put his hand out and Kasir shook it. "I know you'll take care of her." Kasir smiled and they both glanced back at the girls on the couch. "I also have a feeling that you wanted to ask earlier, but were unable to come here, and you've already proposed."

"It was important to both of us that we ask you though," Kasir said to him. "It was my suggestion to have both ceremonies, I knew it would be important for her to have her family around."

"You're a good man, Kasir," Steve said and put a hand on his shoulder. "I think that's what has them in such a good mood."

"Should we be scared to go over there?" He asked the super soldier.

"Always." Steve gave him a smiled and headed over there, Kasir following him.

Anya and Gabby looked up and Steve smiled at her. She squealed and jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. He hugged her tightly, rubbing her back and smiled. Gabby had gotten up and pulled Kasir into a hug. "I'm so happy for you baby girl."

"That's why we're staying up here for a little bit," she said as they pulled away a little. "We want to get as much planning done as we can here." She grinned when Kasir walked over and kissed her.

Steve felt Gabby's arm slide around his waist and he kissed her lightly as they watched them. "She's so happy." He smiled and nodded. "And we're going to go dress shopping tomorrow, and I think that you should come with us?" Steve looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "It's going to mean a lot to her to have your approval of the dress. They just want a small wedding, just family and some friends, intimate setting."

"Me?" He looked at her. "Dress shopping?" Gabby looked up at him, expression not changing, eyes big. "... The women in the family are going to be the death of me."

"Most likely," she smiled and pulled him down a little by his jacket to kiss him. "We should have another sometime."

"I repeat, the women in this family," he laughed when Gabby slapped his arm. "Never said that it would be a bad reason."

"You'd better not!" She laughed and tried to get away from Steve's arms. Kasir had an arm around Anya, both smiling as they watched.


	22. Chapter 22

**A****/N: Wooooooork has been kicking my ass, at the same time as National Novel Writing Month, but the story must go on!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"How did I find myself back in a dress shop?" Tony asked as he checked his phone, getting a message from Loki. "Especially so soon after Christmas?"

"Because I didn't want to come alone," Steve said sitting next to him on the small couch. "Gabby and Loki are with Kasir doing the other planning, and you've been here before."

"Yeah, and I'm sure I'll be back when Emma decides to get married. How do I always get stuck coming to these things?" Tony sipped his water.

"Because you're a sucker for your daughters," Steve smirked. Tony looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "I never said that I wasn't, either."

"Damn straight, Rogers," Tony pointed at him. "Because I don't know if you've noticed, but that woman in there trying on dresses is a female version of you." Steve raised an eyebrow. "You two were like inseparable when she was younger, and she acts just like you. Helping others who are in trouble first, volunteering to do the unselfish things, even if she has to fight, she's been influenced by you. And you know how much I hate admitting that things are cute or adorable, but I'll be damned if you two aren't the picture of family perfection. As close as one can get to it."

"We're far from perfect," Steve argued a little. "Even if you don't involve the strange stuff as an Avenger, or dealing with Gods, we're far from perfect."

"Well, yeah," Tony snorted, smirking a little. "That's kind of the point though. You even had the like, normal parent time of a teenager going through that angsty phase, where everything you do ruins their life. She even dyed her hair black." Tony turned a little to face Steve a little more. "But, it's a testament to your parenting skills that she's turned out like she has. Steve, you've got a great girl, despite whatever emotionally angry phase she went through, because look at her now." They both glanced over when the door opened and Anya came out.

"Yeah," Steve nodded a little as he saw her. "Look at her now." She smiled as stepped up on the little dias and did a turn. She was wearing a one shoulder, multi-layered chiffon dress with a length of fabric hanging from the shoulder. It had a natural belt around the waist and the skirt fell to the floor in loose waves.

Tony leaned over to whisper to Steve when he noticed that he was still looking at Anya. "Remember that talk we had 17 years ago? The one about your little girl getting married?" Steve pushed his face away without looking away and got up walking over to Anya. She took his hands and he kissed her forehead. Tony smirked with his face in the cushion. 

* * *

"So, we'll have the ceremony here, and afterwards we'll travel and have the royal one, is it royal?" Gabby looked up from her notebook. She was there to help plan the ceremony on Midgard and Loki was there to help with the one that would no doubt need to be a bit bigger for the rest of the Nine Realms. It still wasn't widely known that Hela had been unseated and was hiding in Hel, and Kasir and Loki thought that the wedding could be a wedding and a kind of a coronation. Gabby told the men that they could tell Anya. "Where exactly Would we be going?"

"We'll still have it in Helheim," Kasir said, liking to use the formal name for the realm. "Anya and I can spell an area to be completely safe for all of the guests. It would be a private area." Loki nodded a little.

"It would be seen as suspicious or naive to have it anywhere else," Loki agreed. "Politics exist everywhere, and you two must be seen as strong in your rule."

"This is why I tell Steve to try and keep work out of the house," Gabby said as she wrote a few more notes.

"Speaking of, why didn't you go with them to pick out a dress?" Loki asked from the chair. They were at the Tower, where Loki felt most comfortable without Tony or Eindride around. His recovery was still slow coming, but now the only ones who would know that he was still in the least bit vulnerable were those who had been there to see him before. He still needed to be by Tony or Eindride often. Gabby knew that Tony had invited the girls to come spend the week at the Tower over New Years, but he hadn't told Loki.

"Because I'll be going with her to the dress fitting when she comes back for it, and she wanted Steve there," she smiled at the two men. "She wanted to know that he liked it before she bought it."

"I can tell that those two have a strong connection," Kasir said.

"Those two were attached at the hip when she was little," Gabby said as she turned to a new page in the planning notebook. "She followed him everywhere, and Chris followed me. Chris was actually much more interested when I was pregnant with Bry than Anya was. She helped when Steve helped, always trying to mimic him." She chuckled a little. "It was really quite endearing." Kasir chuckled a little and smiled.

"Have you told Heimdall about the engagement?" Loki asked Kasir who nodded.

"I like to think that he wasn't watching when I proposed, but after I asked for her hand I went and told my father," he smiled. "Have you ever seen my father smile, Loki?"

"I can't say that I have," Loki shook his head. "He takes his duties and responsibilities quite seriously."

"I saw teeth," Kasir grinned as Loki blinked a little in shock.

"Will he be able to attend the the ceremonies?" Loki asked, curious. Although they hadn't known that Heimdall had had a son on Vanaheim before, he knew that he'd want to be there.

"We're making arrangements with King Sirtan and King Thor to send a temporary replacement." Kasir told him. "If things go according to plan he'll be able to attend both ceremonies." Gabby watched him for a second. She could see that he really wanted Heimdall to be there.

"Have you thought about a ring yet?" Gabby changed the subject. "The rings are kind of important."

"Ah, yes, I have," Kasir nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. Loki raised an eyebrow and the younger man offered the box to him. He took it and opened it, leaning over a little to show Gabby at the same time. He opened it and they saw silver rings with thin intricate designs carved into it, the metal colored a deep teal on the inside.

"These are Vanir carvings," Loki said and Kasir nodded. "Of the ancient tongue of Vanaheim."

"What does it say?" Gabby looked up at Loki then back at the rings.

"It's hard to translate into the Midgard language," Loki told her. "It more or less evokes emotions rather than actual words. A lot of time and thought went into these rings. And the color, if I am not mistaken, if a perfect shade of your combined powers." Kasir nodded, smiling. Loki looked at Gabby. "These rings have deep meanings for the two that will wear them. I daresay that your daughter will be quite happy in her choice of mate." Gabby smiled at Loki softly and nodded.

Loki handed the box back to Kasir and nodded. He put his hands together, fingers turning his own wedding band around his finger. "Yes, I think that this shall all be a great success, and a very bright beginning for the two of you."


	23. Chapter 23

**A****/N: Wooooooork has been kicking my ass, at the same time as National Novel Writing Month, but the story must go on!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony was waiting down in the parking garage, hair a mess, still in his sweatpants that he slept in. He had slipped on a t-shirt and yawned, a coffee cup in his hand. It was early, the sun was barely starting to rise and Loki was still asleep. He heard the first car coming in and smiled.

The car was barely parked and the passenger side door was open and Kaia was running over to Tony. He quickly held the coffee up and wrapped his arm around her in a tight hug. "Hello, poohbear." He smiled and kissed her cheek. Nathan got out of the car and smiled at him. He opened the trunk of their car and grabbed a couple bags. He'd get his hug when Kaia was done.

"You need to tell me things like this happen," Kaia accused and took a step back. Tony raised an eyebrow. "You obviously didn't bribe Eindride enough to not tell me what happened when I called him two days ago."

"Obviously enough for him to not tell you four months previous." Tony pat her cheek a little and took a sip of his coffee. "Honestly, I don't think he would have been ready for this even a month ago. It took over two weeks for him to consider leaving our room to talk to other people that weren't Eindride and myself." He hugged Nathan briefly when he walked over. "We've graduated to him being comfortable enough for me to leave for a couple of hours, as long as he's with other family. Don't give that look, we're older than you," he pointed at Kaia when she started to frown.

"Doesn't mean it means any less," Nathan said and Tony shot him a look. "Hey, I'm on my wife's side now. I learned that awfully quick 16 years of marriage."

"And yet, I don't have a grandchild in my arms to spoil," Tony shot back. "Do you need to take a visit to my personally physician, Nathanial?"

"Dad," Kaia groaned and Tony smirked. They all turned to look as they heard another car pulling in to the private garage. Tony raised an eyebrow when he saw what looked like an SUV pulling in. Kaia and Nathan had a sedan, and Emma had a Challenger.

They heard some barking and a brunette got out of the driver side, opening the back door for four dogs to jump out, two younger ones, all of them Malamutes. Nathan grabbed the coffee from Tony seconds before a certain red malamute jumped on him, slamming him to the ground as the dog licked his face.

Tony groaned, his eyes wide as Fenrir was pulled off of him. "How can that dog still do that! She's Old!"

"Be nice, we never asked you and Dad that when we were growing up." He looked up to see Emma standing above him, smiling. She put out her hand and helped Tony up to his feet, hugging him tightly. "You should have called earlier."

"You should stop talking to your siblings. Stop being such a close family." Tony kissed her cheek and hugged her back. His eyes trailed over her shoulder to the woman standing behind her, dogs sitting by her legs. She was about as tall as Tony, still shorter than Emma. What caught his attention was her hair. When she had gotten out he thought she had been Brunette, but that was only part of her hair, a section on the side. The rest of her hair was streaked with a bright green that reminded Tony of the color of Emma's magic and golden yellow. She was wearing some jeans with a blue button shirt over a green wool jacket, and some jeans.

The woman smirked at him when it was obvious that he was staring at her. "Dad, isn't it rude to stare?" Kaia asked and Emma pulled back to look between them.

"Kinda hard not to stare when I've just noticed that my daughter was riding skittles." Emma slapped his shoulder and he made a face, looking back at her and rubbing his shoulder. "What?"

"I told you that would happen," Kaia said to her sister and Tony frowned. "I warned you."

"Warned her? I don't like the sound of this, because you know what it sounds like?" Tony looked between his daughters, noticing how Nathan was keeping himself busy by petting the dogs.

"Sounds like their keeping secrets from you?" The woman answered, smiling now. She looked at least 8 years older than Emma now that Tony looked again.

"They get it from him." Tony jumped, back straight, eyes wide when Loki's voice was in his ear. Loki had to grab his shoulders to keep him from falling.

"Dammit! Stop doing that! You know it scares the shit out of me," Tony cursed and turned around to face him. Loki just smirked a little at him.

"Well, I think you deserve it when you try to keep secrets from me," Loki answered. He pushed Tony to the side and put his arms out, Kaia and Emma quickly squeezing in for a hug. "Hmmm, it's good to see you two. It's been too long."

"We didn't mean to leave you with Eindride for this long," Emma smiled and kissed his cheek.

"And Dad," Kaia added, smiling.

"I know I can always have the sympathies of two oldest." Loki smiled and Nathan snorted, ignoring Tony's look. "Emma, would you like to introduce us to the one that has so captured the attentions of your father?"

Emma blushed a little and Tony raised his eyebrow. The woman came over and took Emma's hand from behind, leaning her head on her shoulder. "This is Danica, my girlfriend." Tony just blinked a little, then looked at the dogs. Fenrir was sitting next to the male dog, who was red and white, and the two younger dogs looked to be just over a year old, a mix of red and white.

Loki nodded a little, humming in thought, but Kaia, Nathan, and Emma knew it wasn't a bad reaction. He needed to talk to Danica before he would give his complete approval. Emma had obviously warned her girlfriend about the reactions because her smile never left her face.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Danica offered her hand to Loki first. Loki looked at her hand then shook it. Danica turned and offered her hand to Tony. "An honor to meet you both, actually."

Loki elbowed Tony and he looked away from the dogs, and the car, and shook her hand. "Yeah, well I can't say the same, but I assume you knew that. That's your car?" Danica nodded. "And your dog?"

"This is Conri," she put her hand on top of the dogs head. "He's grown very fond of Fen, as you can see."

"Why don't we all go back inside?" Loki suggested. "It is still winter, and I'm sure that some of us are getting cold."

"Cheater," Nathan mumbled with a smirk and grabbed the bags.

"Allow me to help you get the bags Danica," Loki offered and Tony and Emma blinked a little. "That will allow Tony and his girls a few moments to catch up."

"I'd appreciate it that very much," she smiled. she kissed Emma's cheek and Tony wrapped his arm with Emma's. The two walked back over to that car as Tony, Emma, Kaia and Nathan walked tot he elevator followed by the dogs. Dani opened the back of the car but didn't grab the bags just yet. "Did you figure it out before or after we shook hands?"

"Long before, but I confirmed it when we shook hands." Loki nodded and looked at her. "Does she know?"

"That I'm not human? Yes." She nodded then reached for two of the bags. "She doesn't know what I am though, she's chosen not to ask, and has asked me not to tell her."

Loki looked at her closely. "That is my daughter, and I'll not remind you again. She is precious to me and I will do anything to keep her safe.'

"I expect that we'll be having a midnight talk tonight," Dani replied easily, seemingly not scared by his words. "With you and your husband. Just let me know where you'd like to have it, I'll not object to the most dangerous room you have, if it makes you feel safer."

"I am the most dangerous thing in my home." Loki told her and took what was one of Emma's bags. "I'll trust you won't forget that."


	24. Chapter 24

**A****/N: Undines are fun.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Dani silently padded down the hall and towards the kitchen once she knew Emma was asleep. She pulled her hair up into a quick ponytail and when she turned the corner she saw Loki sitting on a stool. She let out a gasp and stopped when water was splashed into her face suddenly. She opened her eyes and saw Tony standing there, a glass in his hand, eyebrows raised.

"Golden eyes? Really?" Tony asked as he watched the skin on her face change to a grey-blue. "How do you go to the beach if salt-water makes you change so fast?"

"It's just ocean water that does it, thank you very much." She lifted the bottom of her shirt and wiped the rest of the water off of her face. "And Emma and I don't exactly live right next door to an ocean, so I'm not worried about it."

"I don't know whether to have the dating my daughter talk first, or the you aren't human talk first." Tony said as he sat down in the stool next to Loki.

"Does the second one really matter if I love your daughter?" Dani asked as she sat down.

"Do you though?" Tony asked, staring at her. "Loki told me not too, but I did some research when he told me what you were. "Undine, right?" She nodded, watching him. "So according to some stories, undine are soulless unless they marry a human, and in other stories marry and have their child."

"I'm not a fan of the word undine, I'm a water nymph," Dani started to correct. "And if I were soulless would I be able to have feelings for your daughter?"

"I used to be the best actor in the world when it came to relationships," Tony retaliated back. "It can't be that hard to fake emotion, especially when you found out just who exactly Emma was the daughter of."

"I'm really just keeping my cool right now because you are the parents of my girlfriend, and you mean a lot to her," Dani told them, not even bothering to keep a fake smile on her face in front of them anymore.

"We both know that we aren't scared of you." Tony looked at her, looking her up and down, her skin and eyes having returned to normal. "So why are you with her then? To gain immortality? To become human?"

Dani snorted and rolled her eyes. "I may not gain any sort of immortality until I marry a human, and Possibly bear their child, why would I take my chances with someone who is only a little bit human? And another woman at that? It makes it kind of difficult to have a child that way. I may not be immortal, but as a nymph I do have a lengthened life span by a couple of hundred years."

"And what happens when you die?" Loki asked quietly. "If you two truly love each other, what happens when you die? Or did you not plan for that?"

"I've thought about it," she said, looking Loki in the eye. "I've thought about never telling her what I was, and never getting married, not unless she really wanted it. I would never Think about using her like that, not for my own selfish gains. I don't care if I never gain immortality. I love her for her, not for what she can do for me."

"But she Is immortal," Tony said. Dani frowned at him.

"You will eventually die," Loki continued, "and she will not. Have you thought that perhaps if she loves you like you love her, that it would break her heart to see you die." Dani stopped and her face softened a little as she thought about it. "This is why it was a bad idea to not tell her what you are."

"Well, we're not exactly a perfect couple, and we haven't been together that long," Dani said as she leaned back in the chair.

"A little over a year right?" Tony asked and even Loki raised his eyebrow. "The other two dogs, Fen and Con are their parents, aren't they? And they're only a year and three months, maybe 5. So maybe you two didn't move in right away when that happened, but it happened around then. I mean, she's letting you drive her around in your vehicle."

"I'm a vet, that's how we met," Dani told them. "I was Fenrir's doctor. eventually Fen and Con met, and they hit it off about as well as Emma and I. We didn't move in until about 2 months after the pups, Tyr and Lya, were born."

"And who's idea was it not to tell us that you two were dating?" Tony asked, crossing his arms a little. Loki let his husband indulge in his role as protective father, enjoying when he got like this sometimes.

"Mine," she said without hesitation. "She wanted to, but I told her to wait, just in case the press found out. I told her that they would never leave us alone, and we didn't know if we were that serious yet." She shrugged a little. "Then when I found out who her other father was, I didn't want you both finding out and assuming right away that I was using her."

"And you don't think that that is exactly what we're thinking right now?" Tony raised an eyebrow.

"You, maybe, but I think that Loki can see that I'm not," she nodded towards Loki. "But, I also think that you're just looking out for your little girl, and I can't begrudge you that. Any good parent would want to make sure that their child is with someone good enough for them." Dani leaned forward, looking at Loki then Tony. "We may not have been together for very long, especially not compared to you two, but I love her, and it would kill me if I ever hurt her. I don't know if she loves me as much as I love her, but I'm willing to wait and see."

Loki and Tony both glanced past her and Dani frowned then turned around to see Emma standing a few feet away. "Don't be stupid, Dani." She walked over and took one of her hands. "Of course I love you, I don't just move in with anyone." Emma kissed her lightly and rested her forehead against hers.

She rubbed her neck a little with her thumb. "Will you show me?" Dani blinked and looked at her. Tony blinked too, a little caught off guard. "I know I said I probably wouldn't ask, but I'd like to see."

Dani smirked a little and held up their hands, palms splayed against each other. "Only if you make it cold." Now Loki was raising an eyebrow. Emma smirked a little and her fingers started to turn blue. Dani blew around her fingers, letting the cold turn to a fog. "I'll tell you why I love it when you do that."

"Ah, yes, this is something I'd like to know as well," Loki added.

"I like to ask Emma if she'll change to her Jotun form," Dani said, never looking away from Emma. "I love to see her like that, and I like the cold. I'm originally from the North, very far north, from the Norwegian Sea." She let her face change first, eyes turning golden, lips taking on a golden hue. Her hair stayed the same and the grey-blue color continued down her arms. "I'm used to the cold, it makes me feel comfortable, and gives me a feeling of a home, even with Emma." Emma smiled at her. Her hands started to change and they became slightly webbed between her fingers.

"The blues kind of compliment each other," Emma smiled and kissed Dani's fingers.

Tony tried not to gag and Loki pushed his shoulder with his foot, smirking a little. "You know, they're almost exactly like us." Tony whipped his head around to look at him. "Even down to the height differences. Danica is about as cocky as you are."

"I don't know if I should be insulted or take the compliment." Loki leaned forward to kiss him. "I know how to take that," he smirked. "I even know where to take it."

"Probably the same place our daughter has." Tony turned around and the two women were gone. He blinked then made a face.

"I didn't need to think about that!" Loki started to cackle.


	25. Chapter 25

**A****/N: Got one out before early morning shift. Cliffy!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Loki woke up slowly to something trying to nudge underneath his arm. He was sleeping on his back, Tony curled around his side sleeping on his other arm. Loki turned his head slowly and opened his eyes, blinking a little when he saw the dark hair of Emma. "Em?" He asked in a tired voice. "You haven't crawled into our bed in quite a long time."

"I know," she looked up from under his arm. "Is he asleep or will he wake up soon?"

Loki turned to look over at Tony. He let out a snore, his face peaceful, body relaxed around Loki. "He's out. Little known fact, when he snores he's deeply asleep and there isn't much that can wake him."

Emma nodded a little. "You two aren't angry with me, are you?" Loki blinked and looked back at her.

"Angry? Why would we be angry with you?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, rubbed her arm.

"Because I didn't tell you about Dani."

Loki kissed her forehead. "No, we're not upset about that. You are old enough to make your own decisions, especially when it comes to your love life." Emma snuggled into his side, like she used to when she was a child. "If you're in love, then it makes me happy, truly. Also, I am in no position to say anything about hiding a relationship. Your father and I kept a lot hidden from everyone at first. Thor was the first, and only one for a while to know that I was carrying Kaia at first."

"I know that it doesn't really seem like we've been together for long, but, well," she wiggled a little and Loki could feel a smile on her face as she pressed against his side. "I just feel it, I love her, a lot." Loki smiled and ran his hand up and down her arm. "Does that make me crazy? I mean, we haven't even been dating for two years."

"I became pregnant with Kaia after four months with your father," Loki told her and she sat up a little to look at him. "I was exiled to here only two months before that. Of course, we didn't exactly meet under the best of circumstances."

"I insulted you, you threw me out a window," Tony muttered as he stretched his legs and yawned. "what was it, Reindeer Games?"

"Hmmm, yes, and then you made me watch that movie," Loki nodded a little. "If I remember right, you continued to insult me, so the fall from your window was deserved."

"You threw Dad out of a window?" Emma was sitting up fully now. "What happened?"

"He was trying to take over or destroy the world. Kind of." Tony yawned again and turned into the pillow. "I may have told him he was stupid, gonna lose, insulted his manhood." They could both hear the smirk in Tony's voice.

"It was actually the window just upstairs." Emma's eyes widened a little and Loki raised an eyebrow. "What? He was cocky, and his suit saved him. He was fine."

"Is it weird that I'm okay with that answer?" Emma looked at them. Loki just smirked a little and she rolled her eyes. "I do have one more question," she asked a little hesitantly. "Um, well, do you use your Jotun form, often?"

Tony's hand slid up automatically to rest on Loki's stomach. "No, I don't. I don't actually like it, truthfully." Loki reached up to tuck some hair behind Emma's ear. "I was not raised in the same manner as you, and was not raised to accept that part of myself."

"It makes my teeth chatter," Tony muttered into the pillow, trying to give Loki an out to the conversation. Loki rubbed her hand a little.

"I am happy that you are at peace with that, and that you have a partner that is so accepting of it, as well." There was a knock at the door and they looked over to see it open, Kaia standing there with a tray of food.

"I only brought enough for the Dad's," Kaia said to Emma. "Because you were supposed to come and help me."

"I didn't know you were going to wake up at the ass crack of dawn," Emma shot back.

"Did you come in here to steal emotional time?" Kaia accused as she walked in. "Because we were supposed to share that time."

"Can we have more boys," Tony asked Loki, tilting his head a little to look at him. "Boys don't insist on sharing feelings."

"You would be sad without a daughter to dote upon," Loki rubbed his cheek a little. "Plus, our son is waiting outside the room with Nathan and Danica." Tony scrunched up his face. "This was your idea to have them spend some time here." Loki leaned over and kissed him. "I appreciate the thought though, even if you did try to hide the reason from them."

"I'm a sentimental fool who's in love," Tony smirked and shrugged a little.

"Yes, you certainly are." Loki sat up and stretched his arms a little. "You can tell the three out in the hall that they can come in."

"You're in a surprisingly acceptable mood," Kaia said and raised an eyebrow. She leaned out and motioned for the others to come in.

"I am slowly starting to realize that there are certain things that I will not be able to escape," he said as he sat up in the bed. "Especially when your father has set his mind to it." Tony grinned and Loki kicked his side, rolling him off of the bed but keeping the blankets. "Don't make me through you out of a window again. I'm rather sure that your suit won't be there to save you this time."

"You know, the first time you did it, you were gripping my chin, do you remember?" Tony's head popped up and he grinned. "Let me tell you what I was thinking-"

"NO!" Everyone but Danica yelled at him.

"We failed in imparting precious sexual nature upon our children, love," Tony grinned and Loki rolled his eyes. He helped Tony back on the bed. "Well, first off, I'd like to give a big round of applause to my first son, Eindride, for not keeping his mouth shut." Tony clapped and Kaia and Emma smiled at their brother and joined in.

"Um, you've never been on the receiving end of both Kaia and Emma," Eindride informed him. "They're scary on their own, but together ruthless. No way is any bribe good enough to counteract that." Tony rolled his eyes. "I didn't tell them everything, since I knew they were coming here."

"All that we know is that Hela came back and took Anya, and then wrecked all sorts of damage," Kaia said. Nathan had moved a little closer to Kaia, and Tony was sitting with his hand holding onto Loki's, their knees touching.

"Well, let's do a general gloss over first," Tony offered. "Like, how she kidnapped Anya, then got a hold of both of us and Steve and Gabby. Anya found Heimdall's son, and now they're engaged, but that was after they became the new rulers of Helheim, putting Hela out of power. Oh, and there's some sort of organization out there that had taken Anya and Steve that we have no idea who they are. Clint and his, get this, Girlfriend, are working on that."

"Whoa, Clint has a girlfriend?" Nathan asked and Kaia and Emma shot a look at him.

"I know right!" Eindride leaned over to look at him. "That's what we said!"

"Anders!" His sisters yelled at him and he leaned back. Kaia looked a little closer at Loki, and how Tony was so close to him, how they were acting. She frowned a little at what she saw.

"I remember a time, when I was a little younger, and I was up in Asgard with Gabby," Kaia started and they others look at her. "It was a tense time because we were waiting for a lot of people to come back to us. And when Dad came back, there was a small baby, and he wasn't talking, nor would he leave anyone's side." Loki watched as she talked. "I'm not gonna lie, you were shaken, and although you hid it from everyone else, I could see it. I didn't ask what had happened, but I eventually found out. I can't imagine that there's much else out there that could be worse."

"Fortunately for you, darling, you have not encountered the horrors of the Universe," Loki said quietly. "I would rather endure that time a dozen times over than what occurred this time." Tony leaned up, resting his head by his ear, whispering to him so the kids couldn't hear. Loki shook his head once and Tony closed his eyes, hand resting on his cheek.

The girls watched them, knowing it must have been bad if they were acting like that. Eindride had looked down, and was shuffling his foot on the ground. "You know the details of what happened?" Emma looked at their brother and he looked up at her.

"Eindride has some, interesting powers," Tony said. "He's accidentally seen way too much than he needs to have seen." Eindride looked up at him and Tony nodded a little to him. Sometimes, Eindride could still see the scars on Tony's lips from when they were sewn shut. "There's something about Hela that made her a formidable enemy. Being ruler of Hel meant she was able to bring back every horrible memory that included every person that you knew that had died. Nathan knows this, he's countered before, as have I."

"Unfortunately, being raised as her brother had given her exclusive knowledge to my past," Loki said quietly. "She was able to turn that against me, over and over and over again." Tony kissed his neck lightly. "While I was able to combat most of them, there were three that were troubling. And one that I wasn't equipped to handle mentally. I was broken down like a cheap puzzle, until I was found."

"She got her hands on Steve and Gabby and froze them," Tony threw in to keep the story moving. He had noticed the first week or so after they all got back the bags under Steve's eyes. He wasn't sleeping and it wasn't just because Anya was gone. He sometimes still had nightmares about being frozen again.

"And you?" Kaia asked him.

Tony sighed a little. "Nothing that requires a great amount of detail."

"Oh come now Pet, you don't want to tell them about our time?" Tony and Loki visible stiffened at the voice. They were both moving in a second, everyone looking around but saw no one. "You don't want to tell them about all the fond memories I let you relive? While your own lover watched, unable to do anything?" Loki growled loudly and Lanhr's voice.

"Come out you coward," Tony said as he started to move towards the kids, Eindride and Nathan the closest. "JARVIS? Where is he?" There was no answer from the AI. "Dammit."

Dani let out a gasp and put a hand to her back, eyes scrunching in pain. "Dani!" Emma ran over and grabbed her arms as she slid to her knees. Her skin was starting to change and she grit her teeth. Nathan grabbed Kaia's hands to bring her closer to him.

"Undines, I don't know why they were even created," Lanhr hissed into the air. "And the fact that they can look like they're normal? Hiding your nature, it's an ugly thing, isn't it?" The air felt thick suddenly and Tony blinked and looked around when the others started changing to their Jotun forms. Dani grit her teeth in pain and Emma had to move a little when a long scaled tail stretched out.

"Stop hiding!" Tony yelled. "Come on out so we can talk, preferably my fist to your face."

"He really does have an ego, doesn't he Loki?" Lanhr laughed. "Thinking that I'm here for him." he appeared in the room by the door, but suddenly stumbled back with a shout of pain, holding onto his nose.

Dani had flipped her tail up to smack him in the face, hard. "At least we were born naturally this way, and not twisted creatures like you," she hissed at him.

"You think so lowly of the Fae?" He growled at her, then smirked a little. "Did you know your precious woman and her family were Fae? Twisted creatures like myself."

"No, they're not," she said confidently. "They can still retain their original form, they know who they are." She smirked right back at him as she saw Loki approach him from the side. "And I actually like them."

Loki lashed out to grab Lanhr by the neck and Emma put up a barrier around her and Dani as Tony had pulled Nathan, Eindride and Kaia further away. Lanhr grabbed Loki's wrist and they stared at each other.

Tony watched them, idly wishing that he had a long sleeve shirt as the room got colder, and wondered if he could get off a call to Steve and Gabby's, try and get Anya and Kasir here. Someone grabbed his arm from behind, pulling him back, and he shouted when there was a stinging pain and more cold. He looked to see a large blue hand, Laufey behind him.

Lanhr smirked and glanced over, wheezing a little as Loki's tightened his grip around his neck. "What are you going to do?" He looked at Loki again. "You can't kill me, save your family, and kill Laufey before he utterly destroys your toy."

Tony's arm started to go numb the longer Laufey held onto it, the skin turning black from the magical frostbite. He saw Eindride and Kaia move, hands glowing with power, then they stopped when Laufey held his other hand up to Tony's face, crystals of ice forming.

"You can heal the skin," Laufey smirked, talking more to Loki but looking at the other two. "But you can't heal the mind when it's been affected by the ice." Tony swallowed, then gasped when the hand that was on his arm gripped his side. Eindride took a step back, standing next to her sister, eyes narrowed at the frost giant.

Kaia locked eyes with Tony then and he nodded minutely. He knew that she could teleport, and she could go and get Anya and Kasir. It would be a risky move, not knowing how Laufey would react. He glanced over at Loki and could see the rage in his eyes. They were quickly starting to undo all the work he had done to put him back together.

Kaia took a step backwards and Tony slammed the elbow of his good arm into Laufey to distract him as Kaia disappeared. Laufey growled and one foot stumbled back a little. Tony tried to kick at his leg but Laufey moved first, bringing a knee into Tony's back. He gasped in pain then heard Lanhr choke out a laugh. Tony stopped moving and yelled out when Laufey's hand gripped the side of his face, the cold seeping into him. Pain and cold shot through his body and his vision started to dim. He thought he saw Loki's magic flare up, and Kaia come back before he blacked out.


	26. Chapter 26

**A****/N: Going to see Thor tomorrow night at 9pm, very excited. Love seeing these Marvel movies on Thursday instead of Friday.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Kasir slammed his hand onto Lanhr's back, hand glowing, as Anya was behind Laufey. "Get him, Loki." Loki looked at him for a split second before turning and running to grab Tony as Anya pulled Laufey away from him.

Kaia had caught Tony and let Loki take him, putting him on the bed. The skin on his face was turning black, covering his left eye, and it was spreading further up his face. Loki's flexed his hands a little then took a breath. He needed to help Tony quickly, Laufey had been right, no one could heal dead brain tissue from Jotun frost.

He put a hand over the blackened skin and a soft green glow covered his hand. Loki slowly pulled it down, trying to heal the area as quickly as he could. He wasn't sure what would happen to his eye, but they'd cross that bridge later. Right now making sure that Tony stayed alive was the most important part.

"You're really doing a fabulous job at this, aren't you?" Lanhr smirked, unable to move with Kasir behind him. "Can't even keep a couple of souls down in Hel, can you?"

"That's the least of your worries right now," Kasir told him. "If anything's happened to Tony, I'm going to let Loki kill you, over and over and over again."

Anya had thrown Laufey to the floor, her hands on his back, starting to glow blue. "I know exactly where to put you," she growled and he disappeared. She looked over at Kasir and he nodded. She hurried over and stood next to Kaia as they watched Loki work. "He'll be fine, I'm sure of it," she said softly.

Emma was looking over, still on the floor with Dani. Dani rubbed her hand. "Go, they need you." Emma looked at her before kissing her once. She got up and looked at Lanhr before punching him once and moving to the other side of the room. Kasir smirked a little when the Fae groaned before sending him back to Helheim.

He glanced over at Dani and walked over, kneeling down in front of her. "Do you need some help?"

"Well, aren't you a helpful little God," she smiled a little, looking pained. "Yes, I need salt water, badly. If you could get me to a tub, and perhaps magic some sea salt, I can handle the rest." Kasir nodded and helped her, picking her up and moving gently with her. "You must be one of the new ones in charge of Helheim."

"I'm Kasir," he nodded. "We've been looking for those two for a while, trying to avoid something like this happening."

"Hmm, yeah, they seem like slippery bastards." She had her arm wrapped around his shoulders. "I'm Danica, Emma's girlfriend." Kasir nodded a little. "You haven't even met Emma have you?" She smirked a little.

"I've met very little of Anya's family," he smiled at her, pushing a door open with his hip. "We've been busy in Hel. I would love to meet her family, but not under these circumstances."

"Yeah, happier times are usually easier." Kasir helped her slip into a large tub and he turned on the water. "Oh, keep it cold please," she told him as he reached to turn on the warm water. "If you could leave some salt you can go back and help the others if they need it. I'll be fine."

"I'll be sure to tell Emma that you're here," she said and handed her a large clear jar of salt.

When Kasir walked back in the bedroom Loki was kneeling on the bed behind Tony's head, still trying to heal his face. He and Emma were still Jotun, but Kaia and Eindride had managed to turn back. Emma was working on healing Tony's side, his shirt having been literally melted away by the extreme cold.

Anya was standing by Eindride as Nathan had his arms wrapped around Kaia, whispering to her as she watched her Dads. Kasir walked over and rubbed Anya's arm. "I'll be back, I'm going to make sure that this wasn't part of some elaborate ruse. You can tell Emma that Danica is just down the hall. She'll know what it means." Anya nodded and kissed his cheek.

"Come back and I'll introduce you when things are better." He gave her a soft smiled and rubbed her cheek before disappearing.

There was a slight whine before JARVIS came back to life. "I regret to inform that my circuits have been reset. Mister Barton and Miss Lee have entered the building. Shall I direct them here?"

Eindride shook his head. "No, I'll catch them in the living room."

"We'll come with you," Kaia said and followed him towards the door. "The room is getting crowded, and Dad needs to rest." He nodded and left, Nathan and Kaia followed him.

They walked out and saw that Clint was waiting, bow in hand, Lee behind him. "Everything okay?" He asked as they walked in the room. "We got a call from Steve."

"It's,... better now." Kaia said and Clint frowned a little.

"We had some trouble, but Kaia got Kasir and Anya here," Eindride told him. "Emma is in there with them, helping with the healing."

"Never any good when healing is needed," Lee commented. "Well, hey, we'll stay just in case. Doesn't hurt to have a few more eyes and support around, right?"

Kaia and Nathan watched Clint for a second then smirked. He frowned when he caught their looks. "So, how much teasing has Gabby and Steve given you? I mean, how many times did you make comments when you caught them kissing?"

"Almost kissing you mean," Clint corrected. "They were too chicken to do anything."

"And I'm sure that all the gagging you did around them had nothing to do it," Nathan smirked a little.

"I'll remind you that I'm still older than you, and an Avenger," Clint pointed at him. "I helped train both of you." Lee snorted, smiling as she watched the encounter. 

* * *

Tony's eyes fluttered open a little and he shivered. He took a deep breath and felt an arm around him and a hand running through his hair. "I know those fingers," he said quietly. he blinked his eyes, vision a little fuzzy then frowned. Something wasn't right.

Loki helped him sit up on the bed, rubbing his arms a little. "Ugh, it feels like I'm never going to get warm again. I suppose that means I'll just have to sleep in your arms forever now. You're okay with that aren't you?" Loki turned Tony's head towards him while he rambled. He frowned and rubbed up by his left eye. "You're not talking again, I don't like it when you're not talking."

"Shhh," Loki kissed his forehead.

"So what's going on, because things don't feel right to me. You feel tense, and you're quiet and I just have this one question running through my mind." He looked at Loki, and Loki couldn't help but look at Tony's eye, now blue instead of brown. "Why can't I see out of my left eye?"


	27. Chapter 27

**A****/N: Going to see Thor tomorrow night at 9pm, very excited. Love seeing these Marvel movies on Thursday instead of Friday.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony pried open his eyes lids and JARVIS took a picture. He held up the pad in his hands and frowned. "Why is it blue? Will that go away? Will I be able to see out of it again?" Tony zoomed in, inspecting the color. The black pupil was gone and the iris was blue. "JARVIS, have you finished the scan?"

"Yes sir," some information popped up on the pad. "Your eye can be classified as legally blind. I have no information about the change in color sir." Tony rubbed between his eyes and leaned back into Loki.

"How are you doing?" Tony asked as he reached up to rub Loki's cheek. "You're not hurt are you?" Loki shook his head and Tony took his hand. "You'll have to talk again soon. The kids won't let you stay quiet for long."

Loki kissed the side of his face, trying not to frown when his left eye didn't react, not seeing him do it. "I'll be okay. Emma is with Danica."

"Is she okay? Last I saw she was bitch slapping with a rather long scaled tail," Tony asked as he put the pad down.

"I believe that she's been able to change back, and Clint has come. He's keeping them all busy now," Loki told him.

Tony turned in his lap, to face him fully and look at him. He put his hands on either side of his cheek and pulled his head forward, resting his forehead against Loki's. "I'm gonna tell you once to not feel guilty about what's happened, and that's it. I'm also going to tell you that I can try and fix it. I've learned a lot about the body over the years. Also," Tony leaned his head up a little and kissed him. "I love you. I know you know it, but I like saying it."

Loki let his lips linger near Tony's, taking in the feeling of having Tony near him. "As much as I loathe to make you feel like you can keep doing things right, I think that it was a good idea to have the girls come home for a bit." Tony grinned and Loki could feel it, trying not to smile at it himself.

"You only wish you could hate that I'm right," Tony said and nipped at Loki's lips. Loki hummed a little and raised an eyebrow at him. "So, do you feel like going out, maybe making the kids cook us something to eat? Socializing without having to get out of our sweatpants? Helping me so I don't run into everything we own in this place."

"You'd probably kill yourself if I wasn't around," Loki as he stretched out his legs, pushing Tony's knee as he did it.

"One of the perks of marrying you, is that you keep me alive," he grinned and pinned Loki to the headboard with a slow kiss before getting up first. Loki grabbed his shirt and pulled him back into his chest as he got up. Tony wiggled to try and get free trying to beat Loki out of the door. "You cheat!"

"How do I cheat?" Loki raised an amused eyebrow as he walked out then wrapped his arm around Tony's waist.

"You're too tall?" Loki snorted and rolled his eyes. "You can easily seduce me?"

"That's just a given." They walked into the living room to see Nathan and Kaia, and Emma and Danica taking up the couch, Eindride in the oversized chair, and Clint and Lee taking up the love seat, all watching a movie. Loki put a finger to his lips and Tony smirked. Loki's fingers started to glow and ever so slowly the furniture started to lift. It was almost to slow to notice.

"Oi!" Eindride noticed first and pulled his legs up. Loki grinned when Nathan was the first to roll off and onto the floor from the shock. Lee caught Clint before he could fall and she looked over at Loki, who just smirked.

"I think they're up now," she commented and pulled Clint next to her, putting her feet in his lap. "And I think they probably want something."

"We demand the adoration and servitude of our children and their mates," Tony declared. "I'm hungry."

"I'm staying here, make the girls cook," Eindride said, pointing at his sisters.

"Are you trying to say something?" Emma threw a pillow at him.

He caught it and put it behind his back and smirked. "Nope, I'm simply saying that you're better cooks than me. I was also referring to Nathan." He grinned at Nathan's glare.

"I think that he takes more after you," Loki looked at Tony who snorted. 

* * *

Tony was looking down at his tablet, aware that Clint was staring at him and his eye. "Clint, you're distracting me." Clint and Eindride were still in the living room, everyone else in the kitchen, probably making a buffet feast.

"Distracting you from planning a surgery?" That caught Eindride's attention.

"Surgery, say what?" He turned and looked at Tony. "I really hope you're not going to do the surgery yourself."

"As much as I'm usually the only one I trust, no," Tony said, still not looking up from the tablet. "It would be kind of hard to perform laser eye surgery on myself."

"That just means that he's still considering something stupid." Clint shook his head and sat back. "Is it even guaranteed to work?"

"Not in the least," Tony answered. "But, there's still a chance that I'll stop seeing shadows over my left eye."

"And if it doesn't go well?" Eindrde asked hesitantly. Tony glanced up at him a little.

"Then I won't even see shadows, and I'll be looking into the pros and cons of a bionic eye," he answered and looked back down at his plans.

"So exactly when did you plan on doing this?" Clint asked the engineer.

Tony looked up and back towards the kitchen. "How long until the feast is done?" He called out.

"Can you hold on for another fourty five minutes?" Kaia yelled back.

"Take your time!" Tony looked back at Eindride and Clint. "I was think I'd do it now." Eindride's mouth opened a little and Clint rolled his eyes. "You both know that you're not going to change my mind, right?"


	28. Chapter 28

**A****/N: Because Tony in glasses is sexy.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Loki went down to the Tony's lab when they didn't come back up when the food was set out. He should have known to have kept an eye on them, because neither Clint nor their son would be enough to talk him out of doing something stupid. He pushed the door open and heard swearing right away.

"-fuck, yeah okay, that hurts." He sighed recognizing Tony's voice.

"Well, don't be a dumbass and maybe it wouldn't hurt," Clint told him.

"What is going on?" Loki asked and Clint and Eindride turned quickly.

"Dad let the robots do laser eye surgery on him," Eindride pointed, ratting Tony out.

Tony was sitting in a chair, a piece of gauze over his eye as he tried to secure it on. "I should have known you'd turn on me first." Loki sighed and walked over, lifting Tony's head. He saw a red mark on his cheek and frowned. "Just a little burn from the laser, it's fine."

"And your eye?" Loki asked, chilling his finger a little and running it over the burn.

"Won't know until later, unless you want to help speed up the healing process?" Tony tried to give him his most charming smile.

Loki blinked at him once then started to remove the gauze. He could see that his eye was red, but the blue hadn't gone away. Loki whispered a spell on his fingers then slowly traced around the outside of Tony's eye. His left eye lid started to flutter a little at the closeness.

Tony was able to blink both eyes and he look around, squinting a little. "JARVIS, scan please." They waited a little impatiently for the results.

"Vision has been restored by 45% in your left eye." Tony let out a breath and smiled a little. "Would you like me to fabricate a prescription lens?"

"That would be super." Tony sat up and looked at Loki. "How does it look now? Still blue?" Loki nodded. "Ah, well, battle scars. At least I can see with it now, colors are back and no more shadows for me. Maybe I can start a line of frames for glasses now, and I can make my own custom sunglasses too. Make some colored contacts for big social events maybe, and-" he stopped and smiled when Loki kissed him. "Hmmm, I like that. Let's do it again." Tony wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him closer.

"Sometimes you talk too much," Loki said, smirking. "Although it was very foolish of you to let the robots do the surgery."

"JARVIS had almost complete control over them," Tony said. "He forgot to move them away from me when the laser was still on when he was done."

"I do apologize for again, sir," the AI spoke up.

"Yeah yeah, don't worry I'm not gonna take you apart." Tony shrugged a little. "So what kind of feast did you make up there? It sure did take a while to cook."

"Well, we needed to cook for 9, and they don't all eat the same thing, as you know," Loki told him, then helped him out of the chair. "I'm sure that the girls went a little overboard, but they're going to be here for several days, and we'll have plenty of leftovers."

"Glad I bought that industrial fridge now," Tony smiled. He walked over to an automated workstation and waited. There was a tube running from the top of the table down through the ground that served as a message system if one of the kids hijacked it, or as transportation between Tony and JARVIS. A small pod shot up through the tubes and Tony grabbed it eagerly.

"They're done already?" Loki raised an eyebrow, watching his lover open the pod and slide a box out.

"JARVIS can fabricate an entire Iron Man suit in only 3 hours now, I figured a pair of glasses should take no time at all." He opened the box and nodded a little. "They look nice, now let's see how to look." He pulled out the frames and slipped them on. He blinked a little and looked around then at Loki and smiled. "Well, I can see, but how do I look?"

Tony had put a pair of black rectangular frames, smaller than the sunglasses he usually wore, but they managed to make him look, if possible, more attractive to Loki. "How do you do that?" Tony raised an eyebrow, then reached for a tablet. "It's a good thing we've been married for so long, or else I'd have to worry about you being stolen away from me."

Tony grinned when he looked at his image in the tablet. "Fresh out of surgery, and not only can I see, but I Look damn good. Come give me some sugar," Tony said as he put the tablet down and wiggled his fingers. "Come kiss your handsome-"

"And egotistical," Loki added.

"-husband." Tony was still grinning. Loki walked over and kissed him slowly, arm around his waist. "Are you feeling better now? Still protective, territorial? Less growly?"

"Sometimes I think the only reason that we work is because we are so different," Loki told him, shaking his head a little. "Less growly. Sometimes you are absurd." Tony just grinned.

"Let's get back to the party upstairs before Clint eats all the food," Tony suggested. "And so I can show off my sexy specs." He laughed at the face Loki's pulled at the term.

"I don't think Lee would let him eat all the food," Loki said as he wrapped an arm around his waist when they started to walk. "She balances him out quite nicely."

"And you like getting all the dirt about him from her."

"Ah well, those would be the benefits of befriending her, I suppose." Tony saw a hint of an evil smirk on his face and shook his head.

"Don't ever change babe," Tony said, kissing his knuckles.


	29. Chapter 29

**A****/N: Because Tony in glasses is sexy.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Emma had stolen Tony's glasses when they all sat down after eating and he blinked. She put them on then blinked her eyes wide. "Whoa! You are like super blind in that eye!"

Tony stole them from her face and slipped them back on. "I'm aware little girl, and I kind of need these to see straight." Emma scrunched up her nose at him. "This is me with glasses on, get used to it, because I don't actually feel like getting a bionic eye just yet." Tony could practically feel everyone in the room rolling their eyes at him.

Loki had an arm around Tony's waist as they had both squeezed into the oversized chair. Anya and Kasir walked in and they saw them first. They didn't sit down right away and Tony frowned a little. "So, what's the skinny? Nothing good I'm guessing, but one can hope." Tony let out a breath when he looked at the couple. "Alright, give up the bad news."

"We still aren't sure how Lanhr and Laufey were able to get out of Hel," Anya started. "We had been looking for them, but was sure that they were still in Helheim."

"Hela has been confined to Helheim, even if we can't pinpoint her location, we know she's still down there," Kasir continued. "We're working on what happened, but we can confirm that they are now in Hel."

"And Gauton?" Loki asked quietly.

"In Hel, we've confirmed,'" Anya told him and he nodded. "Are you both alright?"

"As well as can be. Want some food? We have tons of extras," Tony motioned towards the kitchen. "Oh jeez, Kasir you haven't met the rest of our kids have you? Well, egg on my face."

"It's understandable why it hasn't happened, I'm sure that it can be forgiven," he smiled a little.

"He looks a lot like Heimdall," Kaia commented looking at him.

"That's my father," Kasir told her. "He'll be happy to know that others can see the resemblance."

"Anyway, this is Kasir everyone," Tony motioned with his hand to Kasir. "He's Anya's fiance now, and they rule the underworld together-"

"It's not an underworld," Anya argued but Tony ignored her.

"And you'll all be coming with to the wedding when it happens. Kasir, this is our oldest daughter Kaia, and her husband Nathan. Our youngest daughter, Emma, and the girlfriend we just met, Danica." Tony pointed to each person as he introduced them. "Our precious little family, and of course you know Eindride."

"It's a pleasure meeting you all," Kasir smiled at them.

"Seems a little quick to be getting married," Emma said as she looked between them.

"Well, there's the time difference in Helheim," Anya said. "And we have been there for about a year."

Tony leaned back against Loki, letting him play with his shirt hem. "Feels good to have them all here, like a big happy family." Loki kissed by his ear and he grinned a little. "Maybe later we can work on making that family bigger?" Loki snorted a little. 

* * *

"When I said make the family bigger, I wasn't expecting this," Tony said as he knelt in front of Lya, the two staring at each other. She yipped and licked his face and Tony scratched behind her ear. Tyr was sitting besides Loki's leg.

"Our apartment is too small for four fully sized Malamutes," Emma said as she and Dani put their bags into the SUV. "Plus, with Eindride getting ready to go to college you and Dad are going to need some company around the house."

"I can always just make him have another kid," Tony smirked a little.

"I think you can settle with the dogs for now," Loki told him, hiding his smile at his sudden frown. He hugged Emma tightly and kissed her cheek. "Try not to be gone for too long next time, yeah?"

"Well, we'll be back in April for the wedding, so no worries," she smiled.

"Take care of yourselves until then," Tony said as he shook Dani's hand. "No trips to the ocean." Danit snorted and smiled at him.

"No worries, she's all the cold and comfort of home that I need." Tony nodded and smiled. Emma came over and hugged Tony, kissing his cheek.

"Alright, don't get into any trouble before the next time we come back, alright?" Emma pointed at her parents as she took Dani's hand. Fen and Con were sitting in the back seat, waiting for the girls.

"We make no promises," Tony grinned. 

* * *

Steve was rubbing Gabby's arm as she dabbed at her eyes with his handkerchief. He watched as his little girl held hands with Kasir, a glowing smile on her face, as she repeated her vows to him. He had walked her down the aisle and almost didn't want to let go of her arm, didn't want her to grow up completely. His heart swelled at how happy she looked, how beautiful she was, how proud of her she was.

There were in a small clearing by a river, a small private wedding that seemed just right. The seats hadn't been split to sides, they didn't see the point in having sides. Steve and Gabby sat up front with Tony, Loki and Heimdall. Kasir had grinned when he saw that his father had even made it to Midgard. Emma, Dani, Kaia, Nathan, Chris and Eidride sat behind them, Bry sitting in Chris's lap. Bruce, Clint, Lee, Natasha, and Thor sat in the third row.

When Anya and Kasir kissed Loki had put his hand over Tony's mouth before he could whistle. He heard Heimdall chuckle under his breath at the action. Everyone got up as the two walked over to them. Gabby had pulled Kasir into a hug and he smiled as he returned the embrace. Anya squeaked and laughed a little when Heimdall had hugged her, lifting her feet off the ground a little.

"You're not my little girl anymore," Steve kissed her forehead and smiled.

"Who are you kidding, Dad," Anya smiled and hugged him. "I'll always be your little girl, just like Bry will be." Steve grinned at her and nodded.


	30. Chapter 30

**A****/N: Sorry, not sorry.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony looked around at everyone that was arrived in Helheim. Loki had put up a barrier with the help of Kasir to keep any ill effects of staying in Hel form happening, and to also keep any unwanted guests out. Anya and Kasir has spent their time trying to set up some kind of guard to patrol. Thor and Heimdall had coordinated different portals to the different realms for everyone to arrive by. So far things had gone well, and this moment was very important for them. Not only was it a wedding for ambassadors and monarchs of the Nine realms to see, but it was a coronation to show them that things were well in hand, that they were powerful enough, and that they would make worthy allies.

He thought that Kasir and Anya looked a little more relaxed as they went through a second ceremony, already having their private, more intimate ceremony with family. Anya smiled when as Kasir rested his forehead against hers. Tony was playing with Loki's fingers as they watched, and he pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Young love, it's kind of adorable." Loki snorted a little as he smiled. "So, do you-" Tony's question was interrupted by a loud echo of a boom and Loki suddenly winced.

Loki stood up before everyone else and looked around. "Something has broken my barrier." Tony frowned as everyone started to talk. Kasir and Anya reached them first. "Someone has gone through a lot of trouble to hide themselves from all of us."

"Should we start transporting people back to their realms?" Kasir asked. "I'd rather get them out of here then have a political catastrophe start."

Loki nodded. "Yes, the portals should still be in place."

"I'll help get everyone moving," Tony offered. "You get to work on that barrier and see what's going on." He gave Loki a quick kiss before running off with Anya and Kasir.

Loki moved towards the back, directing some people as he went, headed towards the origin of the break. They would get the monarchs out first, the ones who wouldn't stay to fight of course, like Thor and Frey. Tony would make sure that the kids got out, somewhere safe, preferably to Asgard with Frigga and Odin.

"Do we know who it is?" He heard Balder's voice come up beside him and he shook his head. "I'll give you three guesses who I think it is."

"I don't believe that it's worth a response," Loki said lowly. He saw the break in the barrier, the break that was spreading, rapidly taking out the entirety of it.

"I don't like this," Balder muttered. They looked out and saw an army of sorts. They didn't see her, but they knew that this was Hela's doing. She may not have had many powers left, but she would know exactly where to look for the worst of the worst to stage a rebellion. What Loki shouldn't have been surprised about was that Lanhr and Gauton were at the front of the army. "This is going to get ugly." Loki just nodded.

* * *

Tony ducked when a fireball went sailing past him. When the first attacks came and the barrier fell everyone started to run, some for the portals, some for attack positions. He didn't have his suit, Steve didn't have his shield, and Clint didn't have his bow, so they couldn't do much. Steve was keeping the portals clear of enemies while people still went through them, but Clint and Tony weren't nearly strong enough to take on as many as he could.

Emma, Dani, Bry and Chris managed to get out with Frigga to Asgard, but in the confusion of the first attack Kaia, Nathan, Eindride and Gabby were routed to Vanaheim with the King's royal guard. He wasn't too worried, he knew they'd be safe there. Lee was helping other get through the portals, after Clint made her promise to go through the closest one if it got too dangerous.

Tony felt a spell in the air and looked over to see Anya and Kasir fighting, pushing back the resistance. Thor wasn't too far away, and Heimdall was with him. He'd never seen the guardian fight before, but it was obvious that there was a reason he was Guardian of Asgard and the bifrost.

The ground shook again and Tony put his arms out to keep his balance. "Alright, I think that's most everyone out of here!" He shouted to Steve. Lee was gone too so she must have taken Clint's advice as the three men gathered together. "Do we go back, hold the fortress down? Get our own weapons?"

"I think we should," Clint said looking around. The fight was close, and every little bit of help was needed, but if any of the enemies got near the portals to slip through no one would know. "We should shut the other portals down and stand guard in front of ours."

"It routes back to the Tower so we'll have the advantage," Steve agreed. "There's not much else we can help with here."

Turning his head again Tony squinted a little when he thought he saw Loki fighting. He felt uneasy when he saw the magenta magic he was fighting against, although he wasn't surprised. What did surprise him was Gauton appearing suddenly behind Loki, a spear in his hands.

Tony's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat when he saw the blade go through Loki's chest. He felt hands grabbing at his arm, starting to pull him away. All he could hear was a ringing in his ears, a tightness in his chest turning into a crippling pain. He watched as Loki started to slump to the ground, gripping at the blade.

"Tony!" He sucked in a breath and tried to pull away from the hands holding onto him.

"No. No!" He felt another pair of hands grab his other arm. "Let me go! I have to get to him! Loki!"

"Tony, we have to go!" He heard Steve's voice behind him as he pulled him back. He could feel the buzz of the portal behind him, catching one last sight of Loki falling to his side. "Come on!" Everything went white around him and he found himself back in the Tower.

Tony fell to his knees, the hands letting go of him. He let out a choked breath and leaned his side against the couch. "I have to go back, I have to go and help him."

"Tony, there's nothing we can do there," Steve said quietly.

"The second we go back there we'd be killed," Clint said. "We were caught unprepared and we aren't nearly strong enough to take on that fight."

Tony started to push himself up. "I can get the suit," he started to move for the elevator. "I can go back there and-"

"Have it get torn to pieces," Clint stopped him. "We have to stay here to make sure that if things don't go well there we're here as the second force." They watched Tony, his back to them, as he mulled over their words. They wanted nothing more than to go back with him, but it was too dangerous. "All we can do right now is wait and regroup."

Clint and Steve watched Tony standing on the balcony as they waited. He hadn't moved in over hour as they waited, Tyr and Lya laying down by his feet. Steve jumped up first when Anya appeared in the room. He caught her when her knee bent suddenly and sat her down on the couch. Tony walked back in as Anya took a breath, closing her eyes. She was still in her dress but it was cut, burned, and generally ruined. There was soot and some blood on her face and arms from cuts, and some bruises forming.

"They won't be coming here," she told them after she caught her breath. Thor and Heimdall appeared a second later. "We'll be bringing everyone back here soon."

"Everyone?" Tony asked and Thor and Heimdall looked at him. He tightened his jaw when he saw their expressions.

"I am sorry, I can not see him," Heimsall said solemnly.

"This is Loki we're talking about, he could be anywhere," Tony said shaking his head a little. "He's not- he'll come back. He probably had to do something to get out, it was just too much, and-" He looked at Thor when he shook his head a little. "If he's in Hel can't we just-"

"He's not there," Anya said softly. "He would have gone to Valhalla, and that's beyond my reach."

Tony looked between the people in the room, blinking rapidly when he felt the stinging behind his eyes. Thor took a step towards him but Tony took a step back, shaking his head. He turned around and left the room. He didn't make it to his room, stopping as he leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor. Tony put a hand to his chest and leaned his head back, closing his eyes, trying to bite back the tears. He wanted to deny it, tell himself that they were all wrong, that he wasn't dead. But the cold in his chest, the hole where their connection should be, wasn't helping to fool him.

He took a breath and opened his eyes when he felt a hand on his arm. Emma was kneeling in front of him, eyes big and watery. He pulled her into his arms and she curled into his chest as much as she could. Tony couldn't help it as the tears came, sobs wracking his body. He hadn't even been able to tell him he loved him one last time, or kiss him, or see the stupid smile that only tony could make him get. He'd never see him again. Tony didn't know what he was going to do.


	31. Chapter 31

**A****/N: Not gonna lie, I freaking cried a little while writing this.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony sat in the lab, staring at a screen in front of him, flipping a screwdriver between his fingers. Tyr and Lya sat under the desk watching him. They hadn't left him alone in the same room since he came home three days ago.

Everyone else had made it back to Earth, and Helheim was stable again. There was a massive hunt to find Hela, Lanhr, and Gauton, but there had been no word yet. Tony looked up when he saw Dani knocked on the glass door. He made a motion and the door unlocked to let her in. She walked over and briefly rubbed Tyr and Lya's ears.

"I imagine Emma told them not to leave alone," Tony said quietly. "They haven't left my side yet."

"They're faithful companions," she told him. Tony could tell that she wasn't down there with good news. She reached out and took Tony's hand, slipping something into his palm. "I'm sorry, Tony, I really am."

He opened his hand and saw that she had put a ring in his hand. Loki's wedding ring. He dropped the screwdriver and closed his eyes tightly. No matter what would have happened, no matter what he would have been forced to do, Loki would never leave the ring behind. Dani quickly wrapped her arms around him as he started to slide from his stool, helping him to the floor, and just holding him for a moment.

"He once told me that if he was ever in trouble, the ring would be shrouded," Tony said, voice wavering a little. "He said he didn't want anyone to take it, but that he'd never take it off." Tony took a couple of deep breaths through his mouth, leaning back a little.

"Do you want me to get the girls, or Anders?" Dani asked quietly and he shook his head.

"I don't want them to see me like this." He wiped at his eyes, hand still closed around the ring. "I can't sleep. not because I'm not tired, gods I'm exhausted. I just can't sleep in our room, because I know he's not there. When I turn in the middle of the night he's not going to be there for my arm to land on, his cold fingers and feet won't be there to cool me down when I've stolen too many blankets from the bed and I'm too hot." His body shook a little as he cried. "He's not there and it just feels so hollow and cold inside."

Dani blinked then frowned sadly. "You two were soul bonded..." Tony nodded as he pressed the ring to his chest.

"I was trying to help him, trying to put him back together," Tony looked at her. "But I didn't know how broken I still was, how much I needed him like he needed me."

Dani rubbed his cheek a little. "I'm so sorry, Tony. I can't even being to imagine the pain that you're going through right now. But you're not alone right now. Everyone else is hurting, too, and there are three people up there that still need you, that will always need you." She kissed his forehead. "Whenever you're ready, they'll be there for you."

He sniffed and nodded, putting a hand over hers briefly. She nodded at him and got up leaving the lab quietly. Tyr and Lya walked over and sat down in front of him. Lya nudged her nose under his hand and put her paw on his knee.

"I know, I know," Tony said. He took a deep breath and reached up grabbing a cloth from the table, blowing his nose into it. "Where are my glasses? I need to look somewhat decent." Tyr walked over to a desk and put his paw on it. "Thanks." He pushed himself up and grabbed the glasses from the desk. He was pretty sure that he had tossed them the day before, but wasn't 100% about it. "Let me just get something first."

Tony walked over to a table with different chains around and opened a drawer. he searched through the scrap he had until he found a long piece of chain. Tony slipped the ring along it before grabbing the small hand soldering gun. He soldered the two ends together so it was just big enough to slip over his head. It was the same gold alloy that he used for his suits. Tony didn't want to lose it.

He walked out of the lab and took a moment before heading for the elevator. When it opened he saw Eindride in there, waiting for him. The two looked at each other for a second before Tony stepped and Eindride practically threw himself into Tony's arms. He felt Eindride shake with silent tears and just held onto him. Tony had to remember that he didn't just lose Loki, his kids had lost one of their parents. They needed him just like he needed them, and he wouldn't let them down. Loki would have torn him a new one if he even thought about giving up.

He hadn't been aware that the elevator had been moving until he felt two more people around them. Tony moved his arms and pulled Kaia and Emma in. They were still a family. A slightly smaller family, but still together.

Emma sniffed and let out a little laugh as they all sat down, still in the elevator, leaning against the wall, trying to cuddle around Tony. "I don't know why, but this just makes me think of that movie, Lilo and Stitch."

"You used to watch that movie all the time," Tony said as he leaned back in the corner.

"Dad would watch it with me a lot," she said. "He put on these dramatics about how I would watch the movie so much that it would cease to exist. He pretended he hated that movie, but I remember that he would just hold me in his lap, and he paid close attention to the end."

"Ohana means family," Eindride said softly.

"Family means no one gets left behind," Kaia continued.

"Or forgotten," Tony finished in a whisper.

"This is my family. I found it all on my own. It's little and broken, but still good. Yeah. Still good." Emma looked at her brother and sister, then back to Tony. "He found you, and you two had us. He made a family, all on his own. We're little, and now a little broken-"

"But still good," Tony smiled a little. "Yeah, still good."


	32. Chapter 32

**A****/N: Catching up with the Starks.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony searched through his dresser drawers, looking through various glasses cases. Tyr and Lya were sitting by the door, leashes on the floor by their feet, watching him as he made a mess of the bedroom. Five years later the dogs were fully grown, sitting at Tony's hip, but as loyal and obedient as ever. Tony had let his hair grow out and was sporting some stubble instead of his usual neatly trimmed facial hair.

"Ah ha!" He pulled out a case and opened it, pulling out his big black glasses. Four years ago he had started his own line of frames for prescription glasses and sunglasses. It was really just an excuse for him to be able to change his glasses to match his outfits. "Okay, we can go now." He grabbed the leashes and clipped them on their collars and they stood up. "Sometimes, I feel like you judge me." He swore both dogs snorted.

"Hold down the fort J, we're going for a walk," Tony said as he grabbed his phone and keys. He grabbed his leather jacket by the elevator as they dogs walked in first. "And if anyone calls, don't tell them where I've walked."

"Of course, sir." Tony slipped his jacket on as the elevator moved. He was in a daily routine of walking the dogs, but a weekly routine of disappearing from the radar, and no one could get it out of him where he went, not even the kids.

* * *

_Tony sighed and sat down on the bench before unclipping the leashes from Tyr and Lya and watched them run off. He had found the park completely by accident, but welcomed the bench. He had zoned out and before he realized it he had walked 3 miles and his feet were protesting. It was getting late out, the sun heading for the horizon and the park was empty. Or at least he thought it was until he heard the barking. He got up and jogged over to where he heard it and blinked when he saw that Tyr was standing on the back of someone, growling, and Lya was standing in front of two little kids, a woman behind them on the ground._

_"Good girl Lya," he said as he rubbed her ear, realizing that she had been trying to protect the kids from the man on the ground. He knelt down by the woman and saw there was a cut on her cheek and bruise forming on her head. Looking over he saw the two kids, twins, two boys, were watching him with big eyes, tears falling. They couldn't have been more than three years old, and were scared._

_"Hey, this is your mom, right?" One of the boys nodded. "Alright, good. My name's Tony, and I'm gonna help her, okay? You wanna come over to her?" The boys had grabbed each others hands and just stood there, watching him. "It's okay. Did that man over there hurt your momma?" They both nodded. "Well, he's not gonna do that again. These are my dogs, and they won't let him hurt her again, or you. That one over there is Tyr, and this one is Lya, they're brother and sister, twins, just like you."_

_The boys looked back at the dogs and Lya had laid down on the ground to seem less menacing over the two little boys. They had light brown hair and bright blue eyes. They reminded him of Eindride when he was little, and he smiled slightly. "Why don't you come over to your Momma, hold her hand, and I'll make the bad man go away. Lya will stay here with you, and she'll come get me if you need me, okay?" Both boys nodded at him this time and the slowly made their way over. Lya had stayed down on all fours and crawled over with them. Tony rubbed her her ears before getting up and walking over to the mugger._

_Tyr got off of the man and tony pushed him over onto his back with his foot. He had a black ski mask on and Tony rolled his eyes. "You are so cliche, it actually hurts me." He grabbed the collar of the mans jacket and dragged him up. The mugger tried to jerk away and Tyr growled, stopping the man. "I know for a fact that there's a cop over this way, because I passed him on my way in. You're lucky, because I could have let my dogs at you. I don't like people who hurt women and little kids." Tony started to push him down the walk._

_When Tony hurried back over he saw that Tyr was sitting next to Lya now and the woman had rolled onto her back, eyes still closed though. He knelt down next to her on the other side of the boys. "Careful now, looks like you took a bit to the head and I wanna make sure you don't have a concussion."_

_The woman hummed a little. "Where are my boys?"_

_"Right next to you, Hun," Tony said and gave the twins an encouraging smile. "See, I said that I was here to help." He made a click with his mouth and Lya and Tyr crawled beside the boys to keep them warm as a breeze blew through the park. "They're gonna keep you warm until your Momma feels better."_

_The woman's eyes fluttered open and she looked at Tony. Her amber eyes widened a little when she saw him. Tony saw that her pupils were ringed in green and he blinked. "Yeah, I get that reaction a lot. How's your head?"_

_She took a little breath and put a hand to her head. "Just hurts, not dizzy or anything. Can I sit up now?"_

_"Huh? Oh right, yeah, of course." He took one of her hands and put the other on her back, helping her sit up. Her brown hair that was in a bun had fallen out and laying awkwardly across her shoulder now. "Did you want me to drive you home?"_

_"No, that's okay," she shook her head a little before making a face, remembering her headache. "We actually walked here anyway, We live a few blocks away."_

_"Then at least let me walk you back home, make sure you're alright. I know you're boys are-" They both glanced over when they heard tiny squeals. Lya and Tyr were licking the boys and they were loving it. "Well, they were pretty concerned about you. Those are my dogs, so no worries. That's Tyr and Lya, and I'm Tony-"_

_"Stark, yes, everyone in New York knows who you are," she smiled a little as she started to brush her shirt and jacket off. "Well, I guess it can't hurt to have you and your dogs walk us home." Tony stood up then took both her hands to help her up._

_"Your boys are adorable, by the way. They remind me of my son when he was their age." He smiled as he clipped the leashes back on the Malamutes. "How old are they?"_

_"They're three, but will turning four in just a few months. They're grow up so fast," she chuckled a little. When the dogs got up the twins ran over to their mom, and she took each of their hands. "This is Tomas," she smiled looking down at the boy on her right, "and this is Sander."_

_Tony squatted down and put out his hands to each boy. "It's nice to meet you Tomas," the little boy shook his hand, "and Sander," the other boy shook his other hand. While he still had their hands he crossed his arms, crossing their arms and they giggled a little. He chuckled and stood up again. "And does their mother have a name?"_

_"Their mother is wondering if the famous Tony Stark is hitting on her," she looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Tony laughed and held up his hands in surrender._

_"No, just being a good samaritan, who just so happened to be walking his dogs today." She made a noise and smirked as she pursed her lips._

_"Well, then, my name is Yvonne, Mr Stark."_

_"Ah, no, just Tony," he shook his head. "My name is only Mr Stark if I'm doing business." He clicked his tongue and Tyr and Lya stood up, ready to go. "Miss Yvonne, your guard duty is ready to go." He chuckled when she rolled her eyes and they all started to walk._

* * *

Tony looped the leashes around the bike rack in front of the coffee store and walked in. He was about to get in line to get a coffee when a cup was suddenly stuck in front of his face. He took a deep smell and smiled. "You two know me so well."

"And yet, you still won't listen to us when we say get a hair cut," Dani said with a smirk. Emma was standing behind her smiling.

"Hey, I think it looks okay," he ran his hand through his hair as he took the cup from Dani and they walked back outside, taking a table by the dogs.

"It looked okay on Robert Downey Jr, how long ago? Like 40 years ago?" Dani shot back.

"Ergo, it looks good on me," he smiled. "Anyway, are we all set?"

"We are," Emma nodded and smiled. "You're sure about this? They're only 5 years old."

"Five years old today, and you were only four at the time," Tony pointed out. "It'll be good for them." Emma and Dani looked at him as they took sips of their own drinks. "What? Why are you two looking at me like that?"

"No reason," Emma said and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "It's just nice to see you get excited about something again."

"I'm giving them a birthday present, how is that getting excited about things?" Tony raised an eyebrow.

"I think what she really means is that we're happy that you're making friends and getting out of the house," Dani said. Tony was about to talk when Dani continued. "It's good, Tony, really. These boys and their mom must be pretty awesome to get Tony Stark's once a week."

"For over a year no less," Emma added.

"You don't get to meet them you know," Tony told them.

"What!" Dani sat up a little. "Oh come on!"

"No way! And risk you two spilling my secret to Kaia or Anders? Heaven forbid is Clint ever finds out!" Tony shook his head and took a long drink of his coffee. "Nope, I'm taking your car over there, and you get to chill back at the Tower until I get back."

"You are a cruel man, Dad." Emma pouted. Tony leaned forward to kiss her forehead, standing up.

"I know," he smiled then held out his hand. "Keys, please." Dani looked at him before sighing and pulling the keys from her belt. "Don't wait up, if you get too impatient take one of my cars and text me." He kissed both their cheeks. "Oh, and thanks for the coffee." He grinned and went over and grabbed the leashes of Tyr and Lya and headed over to Dani's SUV.

"I'd be upset that he took our car," Emma started as they watched him, "if it wasn't for the fact that he's actually happy again for the first time in five years." Dani took her hand, rubbing her knuckles.


	33. Chapter 33

**A****/N: Catching up with the Starks.**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

_Tony and Yvonne sat on a bench, watching the boys play with Tyr and Lya. Tony was throwing a ball up and down in his hand. "The boys look forward to Tuesdays, you know," she told Tony and he blinked looking over at her._

_"Really?" She nodded, smiling a little. "Wow, people who want to spend time with me who aren't actively trying to destroy the world, or a superhero," he chuckled._

_"I think they actually like the dogs better." She laughed as his face dead panned. "Oh, alright, I look forward to spending time with you. It's someone to talk to who's over the age of 4."_

_"I remember those days," he chuckled. "Alright, you're all still cool, still worthy of my time." She pushed his back and he chuckled. "Does your husband know you come out here?"_

_"There is no husband," she shook her head. "Sadly their father is, not able to be around."_

_"Sorry about that," Tony made a little sympathetic face._

_"No need for you to be telling me sorry," she lifted his hand, spinning his ring around his finger a little. "I noticed the ring on your chain, too."_

_Tony smiled softly. "Yeah, we're both technically single parents, but my kids are all grown up."_

_Yvonne pat his hand and let go of it. "That's a beautiful ring, by the way. Both of them." Tony nodded and pulled out the ring on his chain. "Can I uh, can I ask what happened? Or is that too much?"_

_"No, that's okay," he shook his head a little and leaned forward on his knees. "It's uh, it's complicated, but he's um," Tony licked his lips a little as he looked at the ring. "He's no longer with us." She rubbed his arm a little. "It's okay."_

_"If it was okay, Tony, then you wouldn't still be in love with him," she smiled at him. Tony looked at her and blinked. "It's okay that it still hurts, whatever happened. Just means that you two really loved each other."_

_"You're very insightful, Yvonne," Tony commented. She just smiled at him, stealing the ball away from his hand in mid throw._

* * *

"Tony!" Tony grabbed the little boy that ran towards him and he chuckled. "You're late."

"Am I now? Does that mean you've learned to tell time?" He put Tomas back on his feet and the boy nodded quickly. "Well, now I'm in trouble." He smiled and they watched as Sander and Yvonne walked over to them. "You didn't tell me that they can tell time now."

"Of course not," she smiled at him. "Because then you would try to be on time, and it's much more fun when three people are telling you your late instead of just one."

"Oooo, you're lucky it's not your birthday today," he pointed at Yvonne.

"You remembered!" Sander exclaimed and grinned.

"Of course I remembered, how could I forget your birthdays!" He smiled. "Alright, bring your mom follow me, let's get the dogs." The boy ran over and grabbed Yvonne's hands and pulled her along. "Oh right, and your presents are in the car." They pulled her faster and Tony laughed.

They reached the SUV and Tony stopped by the side door. "Now, before mom freaks out about it, I know what I'm doing." She gave Tony a look, frowning. "I know that look." He grinned then opened the door. Tony leaned in and grabbed two leashes and two smaller dogs jumped out followed by Tyr and Lya. "This is Runa," he said as he held up the red leash, "and this is Vigi," Tony held up an orange leash, then looked at the boys. "Runa is a girl, Vigi is a boy, and they're both twins, just like my dogs." The boys looked up at him with big eyes, waiting for him to say it. "And they're for you."

They both gasped and instantly went for the leashes in Tony's hands. Tony grinned as he guessed right. Sander took Vigi's leash, and Tomas took Runa's leash. Yvonne's jaw had dropped a little. "You got them dogs? Not just any dog, Malamutes." She put one hand on her hip, looking at him.

"Yes, yes I did," Tony grinned. "I said I know what I'm doing, it's okay."

"No, I don't think you do know sometimes," she sighed and rubbed her brow. "You realize that I'm going to have to take care of these dogs as well."

"Ah, this is where you're wrong." He smiled and locked the car and walked over to her. Tyr and Lya were following the boys as they headed into the park with their new puppies. "I agreed to let me daughter have a Malamute when she was 4, in fact her dog is the mother to all four that are hear today. Not the point," he quickly said when he got a glare from her. "I have set up for all their food, and toys, and dog beds, and even kennel cages, to be delivered later today. There are special training classes for children with dogs that I'm going to sign them up for, when you tell me what days are good. I'll even take them myself if you can't get the time off. I know being a single parent is hard. And they've already had their shots because my daughters partner is a Vet, and her dog is the father of these ones. But this is good because it teaches-" he stopped and blinked when she put a finger on his lips.

"Tony, you're rambling," she stopped him. "You don't have to do all of this, you know."

"Of course I do, I just put two giant dogs in your life," Tony chuckled a little. "I just noticed how much they loved Tyr and Lya and they're very good with them, so I thought they might like a dog of their own." He watched the boys giggling as they played with the pups, the youngest malamutes instantly taking to the twins. "It helps them learn responsibility too. My daughter Emma, the one who got the dog at 4, just finished her Doctorate, she's an OB doctor now. Ironically, that's what my son is going into as well."

"Did he have a dog as well?" Yvonne asked him, watching Tony as he watched the twins.

"Well, not exactly. He was a newborn when Emma got Fen, so he grew up helping to take care of the dog." Tony shrugged a little. "It was a good companion to have around the house at the time, and Tyr and Lya are fiercely loyal. I don't know what I would do without them around."

"Tony, why are you doing this?" Tony blinked and looked back over at her.

"Cause it's their birthday?"

"That's not what I meant." She turned to look at him a little more. "I mean, why all of this? Coming here every week for over a year, just to play with them, getting them this present? There has to be a reason, and we both know that it's not for us to hook up."

Tony looked at her for a long moment then looked back out. "Because, it makes me happy." he cross his arms over his chest. "It's been a long time since I've felt like that, and just being able to be here for them, and for you, it makes me feel good. They remind me of my children when they were young. You're a single mother, and that's got to be so hard, so I thought maybe it helped you a little, too." Yvonne saw a stray tear sit at the corner of Tony's eye and she quickly wiped her own tear away. "I just... I like doing it. I mean, look at them." He smiled as the boys had tied together the leashes and were playing tug of war with Runa and Vigi while Tyr and Lya watched. "They're so god damned happy right now. They should be able to stay like that."

Yvonne watched him, her hand reaching up slowly to cup his cheek. She quickly took it away before he saw and she smiled a little. "You're a good man, Tony Stark. Despite giving the children two large dogs." Tony chuckled and smiled. 

* * *

Tony twirled a pen in his fingers later that night, thinking. He had made sure that Yvonne and the twins got home alright with the pups. He helped get the set up of food and dog beds, made sure that Yvonne knew that the pups had already been potty trained, and to let him know about the training classes. But something about what had happened at the park was nagging at him.

"Tyr, Lya, I'm going to Asgard for a bit, don't chew my shoes." The dogs looked at him as he walked headed over to the roof and to the roof. "Heimdall? Do you have a moment?" He waited for the bifrost to take him up to Asgard.

When he landed he took a breath and looked around. He gave a small smile to the Guardian and walked over, accepting the embrace from the taller God. "It has been a while Anthony," he said, smiling.

"Yeah, I know. I don't really have any excuses for that," Tony shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Hey, do you think I should cut my hair?" Heimdall raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry, Emma and Dani have been bugging me, telling me I should get it cut, but I think I like it like this." He walked around and looked out at the stars. "Have you been watching me lately?"

"Not as of late, but sometimes I do," Heimdall told him.

"Have you seen me with Yvonne?" He turned back to look at him. "Can you tell me anything about her? Have you seen her before I found her and Tomas and Sanders?"

"I'm afraid not, my friend. She has not fallen under my attention until you two crossed paths." Tony nodded a little at the answer.

"Alright, thanks. I'm gonna head up to the palace now, any news?" Tony started to head towards the rainbow bridge.

"Odin has entered the Odin-sleep, Lady Frigga spends her time in the gardens, and Thor and Balder are currently visiting their Uncle Frey in Alfheim." Tony nodded and gave a little salute as he started walking.

He walked to the gardens and found Frigga in her usual spot as she made some vase arrangements. She looked up and stopped, then smiled widely and got up, pushing all the flower clipping to the ground. "Anthony." She embraced him tightly and Tony smiled, practically melting into her hug. "It's been too long since we've seen you."

"I've been getting a lot of that," he chuckled a little.

"You look good," she said as she lifted his his chin a little, inspecting him like she would one of her sons. "Your hair is a bit long, but I think you manage to pull it off."

"Thank you! Now if only you could tell Emma that, she'd stop telling me to cut it." Frigga chuckled and they walked back over to the benches, both sitting down.

"What brings you around this day?" She put the flowers in his lap, using him as a place mat for them. Now he was forced to stay during the conversation.

"Something's bothering me, kind of been bothering me for a while if I really think about it." he leaned back on his arms as he spoke. "There's this woman on Midgard, and she has twin boys. There's something about them that I feel drawn to them, but I don't feel romantically drawn to her. I don't know what it is."

"They must be special to have gained your undivided attention every week," she smiled. "what exactly bothers you?"

"Well, today was the twins birthday, and I got them a dog," Frigga chuckled lightly as he told the story. "I was explaining about Emma when she had gotten Fen all those years ago, and of course I started to ramble, because that's what I do when I'm nervous. Well, to stop me she put a finger on my lips." Frigga messed with a vase then turned to look at him.

"She reminds you of him?" Tony nodded a little. "Perhaps you should tell me more."

"I have to know first," Tony looked at her. "Is it possible to go to Valhalla? To check? If not, is is possible that it could be him? Could he have been reborn or something? I just... I have to know." Frigga reached out and cupped his cheeks.

"You precious man, you'll never truly give up hope, will you." She kissed his forehead.


	34. Chapter 34

**A****/N: Now we're getting somewhere**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

_Tony stood in the doorway of the bedroom, staring at the bed. It was still made, no wrinkles in the comforter, pillows propped up. It looked like it had come straight from a magazine. He couldn't do it, there was no way that he would be able to sleep in that bed without Loki next to him. He knew for a fact that the bed would never look that perfectly made again._

_Tyr and Lya were waiting behind him. Tony wanted to be annoyed that his daughter had told the dogs to follow him, to basically watch him, but he couldn't. He'd never admit it, but the dogs were saving him from himself right now. They knew that something was wrong, the knew that Tony was sad and the amount of comfort and strength it gave him, well, he'd never be able to show it to them enough. They weren't pets, they were family, and he didn't know what he'd do without them right now._

_He stumbled into the room when Tyr nudged the back of his knee. "Hey, what's the deal?" He looked back at the pups. "I know it's been a week, but it's not that simple, you know." He sighed and looked back over at the bed. "Alright, let's try this. The guest bed just isn't as comfortable is it?" The pups had taken to sleeping next to him on the bed._

_Loki had been adamant that the dogs not sleep on the bed when they had first gotten them. That only lasted a week. Tony woke up one morning to see them both on the foot of the bed, Lya by his feet and Tyr by Loki's. Tony just looked at Loki but didn't say anything, just smirked. Loki's look promised a punch to the ribs if he said anything._

_Tony ran his hand over the comforter for a second before pulling it back and adjusting the pillows. He slipped under the sheets and lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. There was a whine and he looked over to see the pups ears peeking up over the other edge of the bed. He rolled over a little and pat the bed, Tyr and Lya jumping up. He was happy they didn't lay on the pillows._

_"Alright, we'll try this, okay? Don't get used to it though," he told them as they laid down, looking at him. "We all know that Loki would kill me if he saw you on the bed like this. He'd blame it on sentiment. So don't get used to it."_

* * *

Lya jumped up on the bed first as Tony took off his glasses and pulled the covers back. Tyr jumped up next to his sister and they laid down. Tony yawned a little and crawled into the bed. He pushed his face into the mattress before pulling his pillows down.

"Don't look at me like that." Tyr and Lya didn't move, just looking at him. "I had to go and check. You know the others would think that it was a good step, going to Asgard by myself." They both tilted one ear to the side. "Okay, yes, it was to ask about him, but you can't blame me. It probably was a silly question to ask about going to Valhalla, you know, when you're not dead."

He sighed and plopped his head back on the pillows. Frigga said it would be near impossible that Loki had been reborn this soon, and if he had been it would have been in one of the twins. Souls reborn start at birth. But it wasn't the boys that reminded him of Loki, they reminded him of Eindride, of Emma and Kaia, his own children. Maybe he just saw every action Yvonne did as something Loki would do because they were close now. It was no secret that he still missed Loki, so maybe he was just reading too much into it. It wasn't a far fetched theory for Tony Stark.

"If it makes you two feel better I'll be going up there more often now. Frigga made me promise, and you know saying No to her is like a crime against the Universe." Tony raised an eyebrow in thought. "Is it a crime against the universe? I mean, she's not Queen anymore, that's Sif, but- oph!" He stopped and shot a glare over at Tyr who had thumped his stomach with a paw. "No need to judge me." They both snorted. "You judge me more than JARVIS does." 

* * *

"So?" Tony asked and Yvonne looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "It's been a month, the dogs, the kids, and you are still alive."

She snorted and laughed. "Yes, well, you're training classes are actually working. The boys actually listen to me too. Why aren't there more children training classes?" Tony let out a bark of laughter.

"I wish those had existed when my kids were small." All the dogs were playing with Tomas and Sander. He smiled and took a sip of his coffee then stopped when he saw a butterfly a few feet away. A glowing magenta butterfly.

"Hey, I've got an idea, let's change things up a little," he said suddenly and Yvonne looked at him. "Let's go back to your place with the dogs, or my place, doesn't matter." He was already standing up.

"Tony? What's wrong?" She grabbed his arm to stop him as she stood up.

"You remember when I said that I'm a trouble magnet?" She nodded as he started walking towards the others. "And that you said, I'll take my chances? Well, this is about to turn into one of those moments, so getting out of the park would be a really good idea right now." Tony watched her natural parental defenses flare up and she moved as quickly as he was.

Tony looked behind him and saw someone walking down the path towards them. Lanhr. He turned and whistled once and Tyr and Lya were on alert. Yvonne had taken Tomas and Sanders hands, leashes on the pups. "Tyr, Lya, stay with them. Protect." They moved closer to the little family. "Yvonne, start heading for your apartment, I'll meet you there."

"Tony-" she started but Tony just pointed.

"Go, now. I'll find you." She nodded and started walking quickly with the boys, Tyr in front of them, Lya behind.

Tony turned around to face the fae as he slowed his walk as he got closer. "I don't get to meet the new family?" Tony's jaw clenched so tight he thought he might crack his jaw.

"I'm gonna rip that smirk off your face so hard," Tony growled a little.

"I'd like to see that actually. I'm actually just here to ask a question," Lanhr took a hand out of his pocket, inspecting his nails a little. "I'll even leave the little ones alone if you answer."

"You won't touch them, period," Tony promised.

"We'll see. Where is he?" Lanhr asked and Tony frowned. "Was that him? Hiding? It'd be a good one, leading us on. Everyone thinks that the great Tony Stark has moved on, but really he hasn't."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" They both took a couple steps closer to each other, but Tony had never felt more confused. "Do you think it's funny right now? Are you trying to get me angry for some reason? You and that bastard Gauton are the ones who killed him, why don't you tell me where he is? Pissed that you can't get to him now? That he's safe in Valhalla from you?"

Lanhr started to laugh loudly. Tony dug his foot into the ground a little, feeling uneasy. "Oh god, you don't know do you? This is just too perfect." Lanhr wiped at a tear in his eye from laughing. "Did he sever the bond? Do you feel empty inside?" Tony growled and moved first, throwing the first punch. Lanhr grabbed his wrist then glanced down and smirked. "Oh, he even gave the ring back. Now that's a twist."

"I'm going to kill you." Tony twisted his arm and pulled his wrist from Lanhr's grip. He held up an arm to black Lanhr's arm and threw his other arm. The two exchanged blows, each blocking most of them, moving too fast to think about what they were doing. Lanhr was slowly moving Tony back though, gaining the upper hand. When Tony ducked to avoid his elbow he lifted his knee up and caught Tony's jaw.

Tony fell to his back and moaned a little at the pain. He gasped when Lanhr's dropped a knee on his chest. His glasses were ripped off his face and he could hear the crunch of plastic and glass. "You know, a thought occurs to me." His fingers traced around Tony's bad eye and he tried to flinch away, but Lanhr's held his head down with his other hand. "With the bond gone, you're ripe for the picking, Vulnerable again. I never did get to train my pet properly before you were stolen away from me." He blew on his fingers a little and Tony thought he saw a small glint of magenta. "Will you tell me what happened to your eye before I take you? The color interests me."

"You bastard," Tony snarled. Lanhr's hand came down towards his eye and he bucked his hips at the same time. He hissed and felt a pick in his eye as Lanhr was thrown off. Tony rolled up and kicked Lanhr's head before scrambling to his feet. "Anya! Kasir!" He shouted and Lanhr growled.

"They'll never find me, they couldn't before, they won't this time!" Lanhr pushed himself up and disappeared in a flash of magenta. "But you'll never see those kids again either!"

Tony took a breath then took off running after Yvonne, Tomas and Sanders. He didn't think he had ever run so far in such a short amount of time, but breathed out a little when he saw them on the sidewalk, across the street from the apartment building.

"Tony!" Yvonne called out as he ran over. Tyr and Lya were standing in front of them, not letting them move from their spot, hackles raised. "They wouldn't let us go into the apartment. What's going on?"

"I don't know, but I'd trust their-" There was a dull roar and Tony was suddenly pushing Yvonne and the twins down as glass shattered over them an explosions rocking the ground. Lya and Tyr were in front of them and Tony looked up, eyes wide. The third floor of the building was engulfed in flames, the same floor where Yvonne lived. He swore he saw puffs of smoke tinted with magenta and brown crawl out of the windows. It was not accident.

"We're going back to the Tower, now." Tony said and helped them up. He grabbed his phone and started a direct link to JARVIS. "JARVIS, I need a car, now. Sensors up on the Tower, scan for anyone not supposed to be there, high alert." He looked over and Yvonne and saw that she was watching the smoke as well. Something was very wrong.


	35. Chapter 35

**A****/N: Now we're getting somewhere**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

They had walked about two blocks before one of Tony's cars came speeding down the street. He saw Clint in the drivers seat. JARVIS must have told him to grab the truck, because there was no other way they were fitting four other humans and four dogs in any other car. He opened the door and helped Tomas and Sander in first, Clint leaning back to help buckle them in.

As the dogs climbed in Tony stopped Yvonne for a second and just looked at her. She kept his gaze back and he took a breath. They didn't say anything and she eventually climbed in the back with the twins. Tony closed his eyes tightly, clenching his hands a little before getting into the passenger seat next to Clint.

"What's going on?" Clint asked as he started driving as soon as the door shut. Tony could see his bow and quiver on the floor by his feet. He had come prepared.

Tony picked them up so he wouldn't kick them. "Lanhr was at the park," he said quietly. The boys were already scared and uncertain, he didn't want to make them more frightened by the tone of his voice.

"Did he have something to do with the fire?" Clint kept his eyes on the street, smoothly making his way around traffic to get them back to the Tower.

"Yeah, he did," Tony nodded. "And I don't think he was alone." Clint glanced over at Tony, but he didn't say anything else. He'd have to wait until they got back to hear more.

Lee was waiting in the garage for them when they got back. Tony was the first out of the car opening the back. Tyr and Lya jumped out and acted as a guard for the boys when Tony helped them out, Runa and Vigi sticking close. "This is Clint and his girlfriend Lee. They're really nice and they're gonna take you up and show you my house, okay?" They both nodded. "They'll get you something to eat too, and I'm gonna talk to your Momma for a few minutes, then we'll be back."

The boys hugged him as Tony stood up. "They're really shy around new people naturally, and they're shaken. Don't worry if they don't talk to you, just watch them for a bit."

"Don't worry Tony, we got this." Lee nodded then smiled at the boys. Tyr and Lya glanced at Tony and he motioned for them to follow.

Tony waited until they were all on the elevator and moving before her turned back to Yvonne, a glare on his face, and he moved towards her, backing her up against the truck. "You've got to be fucking kidding me right now, right? This had better some fucked up nightmare I'm having, or so help me."

Yvonne just stared at him, expression not changing. She took a breath and blinked. When she opened them they were a very familiar green and Tony took a step back. He closed his eyes and turned away, hands gripping at his hair.

"God fucking dammit!" He kept his back to her and crouched on his knees for a second before standing back up. "Five fuckng years! How could you do this!"

"It wasn't intentional, nor part of any plan." Tony turned around, very glad that he was still looking at Yvonne. It would keep him from throwing a punch if he was still looking at a woman. "I made a mistake."

"A mistake!" Tony shouted, keeping his distance. "For fuck's sake! A mistake is leaving the window open in winter, Loki! Leaving for five fucking years is not a mistake! Do you know what I went through?! What the kids went through? Even Gabby? It took me this long to even feel a spark of happiness after I saw you supposedly die, and now this happens?"

Loki cleared her throat a little and looked down. "I actually meant that it was a mistake coming back here," she said quietly. Tony's mouth opened a little at the confession. "If I hadn't, then neither you nor the boys would be in danger. Gauton and Lanhr wouldn't have been able to find me."

"So the boys are real?" She looked up to meet his eyes. "Well, I had to wonder if they were just part of a spell that you did to fit in, to-"

"They're our sons." Tony stopped, eyes widening a little. "I did die that day, for a minute, and I was also pregnant. I was going to tell you when we had gotten home from Helheim." Tony took a deep breath and backed up a little until he hit the front of a car, leaning on it. "I had little time to escape, and little energy to do so. I was wounded trying to heal myself, and keep the babies alive. No one knew I was alive, no one."

Tony was trying to process everything. "Those twins, they're ours, my sons?" Loki nodded. Tony took a breath and looked up, trying to blink back a few tears. "Did you change their looks too?"

"Somewhat, yes. I had to keep them safe," Loki admitted.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" He looked over at her. "Or were you going to let me continue showing up every week? Letting me get close to the boys, never knowing why I felt so protective over them?" Loki didn't answer and he shook his head a little. "You had to know that that's all it would ever be. That I could never become involved with you like that."

"Part of me hoped that it would happen eventually, but I knew it wouldn't, not if I never told you the truth." She kept looking at him and Tony could see different emotions behind the green eyes. "I'll admit that I was a little happy, because I knew that you still loved me."

"Then you understand why it hurts so much right now," Tony stated and she nodded once. "Fuck me," he whispered as he dropped his head in his hands for a second. "I don't know what you went through, and I know this can't be easy on you right now either, but I'm just so angry right now."

"I would be surprised if you weren't,"' she said.

"But, I can't even focus on that right now because we've got bigger threats out there right now," Tony said, gesturing towards the outside. "I think it would be best right now if you just stayed looking like that. I don't think Lanhr knew it was you right away, and it'll help me focus right now." Loki nodded as Tony stood up. They started to walk towards the elevator when Tony stopped, hearing the sound of another car pulling in.

"Dad!" Loki turned when he heard Emma's voice. Emma and Dani were hurrying over to them. "What happened? We saw the news? Are the boys okay?"

Tony rubbed her arm a little and nodded. "Yeah, but come on. There's trouble as usual, we'll be safer if we're all together." Tony didn't look at Loki as he guided the girls on the elevator. He couldn't tell them, not yet. Right now he had to focus on one crisis at a time. 

* * *

_Loki was getting tired of running. The twins were three now and they hardly talked. This was no way to raise them, and he knew it. When Loki had given birth to the twins she had decided to stay that way. It would throw off Gauton and Lanhr, and whoever else they had hunting her._

_She had started taking Tomas and Sander to the park, hoping to alleviate some stress from herself, and let them experience something fun. The apartment was warded, the necklaces that her and boys wore had protective runes on them. She hoped that they would never be detected._

_Loki had been helping the boys with their jackets as they got ready to leave the park when the mugger caught her unaware. She swore when he hit her head with his elbow, cursing herself for letting a mortal sneak up on her like that. But when Loki opened her eyes and saw Tony above her she swore that she was going to die from a heart attack. She thought for sure that Tony would know who she was, but he didn't._

_After the boys went to sleep that night, she cried. She had tried to block just how much she missed their family, how much she missed Tony, and how much she needed him right now. Loki knew it was foolish to keep seeing him, that she was playing with fire, but Loki never listened to what common sense said. Being around him, seeing with the boys, it made her feel good, even if it was just a little bit, it was more than she thought she'd ever have again._


	36. Chapter 36

**A****/N: Now we're getting somewhere**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony watched the screen on the tablet, watched Loki sitting with Tomas and Sander in the guest room. She was reading a story to them, hoping to get them down for a nap. Tony swallowed and switched screens when he heard someone walk into the room. "I've got sensors out for half mile around the building," he said, not caring who it was that had walked in. "JARVIS is taking scans of everyone who walks or drives by."

"Do you think that they'll try and attack here?" Dani asked. Tony turned in his chair and looked at her. "Do you really think that Loki is alive? Like they do?"

"I don't know," he said softly and looked away. Dani frowned a little and walked over to him.

"Tony, what happened out there?" She pulled over a chair and sat across from him. "I mean, shit after this long and they show up again, saying they're looking for Loki, that's not just something you can gloss right over."

"No, it's not, but right now I can't focus on that he's alive, because I have to try and stop them." He put the tablet down and rubbed his face. He slowly pulled when his hands down when Dani didn't talk and her mouth was open a little. "What?"

"Oh my god, he is alive," she said quietly, standing up. "He is and you know where he is." Tony frowned and stood up too. "The way you said that, you said you can't focus on that he Is alive. You sounded so sure of yourself."

He grabbed her arm before she could leave the room. "Listen, you can't tell Anyone," he told her sternly. "I'm serious, if everyone knows then the advantage that we have over Lanhr and Gauton is Gone. They don't know who it is, and right now they don't know that I know. If everyone knew-"

"Then they'd rush to protect him, just giving his identity away," she finished, nodding. "I get it. But you're gonna tell everyone later right? Emma has to know that her Dad is still alive."

"I'll tell them all, I promise, I just can't right now." She took his hand and he looked at her.

"Is it who I think it is?" Tony nodded once. "And the boys?"

"Mine," he said quietly. "I didn't know, he hadn't told me before it all happened, but they're mine." Dani suddenly hugged him tightly. He relaxed a little in her arms as he hugged her back. He winced and pulled back suddenly, rubbing at his eye under his glasses.

"What's wrong?" Dani frowned.

"I don't know, it just hurts all of a sudden," he grunted a little. He rubbed until something small dropped into his palm. Blinking he looked at it then his eyes widened. A tiny magenta shard. He ran for the window but was suddenly blown back into the wall. He looked up and saw Lanhr standing there, stretching his arms a little.

"I know that would pay off." He smirked and Tony pushed himself up quickly. Lanhr moved and grabbed onto the chain around his neck, pulling him to a stop. "Not so fast." He looked past Tony at Dani and glared. "Either one of you moves and I'll kill everyone in this tower." He pulled on the chain again and tony grunted. "Now, if I'm right, this is supposed to be really hard to break, right? Obviously symbolic of why you carry around the ring on this."

Tony glared at Lanhr but didn't say anything. "Let him go, Lanhr." Tony tried not to react when he heard Loki's female voice behind him. "He's not the one you're looking for." The Fae smirked at Tony and looked behind him.

"Did you know that you had become careless? Let us find you here on this horrid realm?" He jerked Tony around, throwing him against the wall without letting go of the chain. "No, I don't think I'll let him go. We've been looking for you for a very long time, and I'm taking him as a spoil of war." Loki threw a spell at him and Lanhr threw one of his own right before it hit. A shockwave pushed through the room, breaking all the glass around.

Tony gasped, eyes wide. His glasses were broken, and the vision was suddenly gone from his left eye, something warm dripping down his face. He started to pant as shock wore off and pain flooded his body. A piece of his lens was stuck in the corner of his eye. Lanhr yanked on the chain around his neck and he shouted as it pulled against his neck, pulling on the nerves and his spine before breaking off.

Loki watched Tony crumple to the ground as she tried to gain her balance again from the shockwave. She pushed herself up and saw Lanhr take the chain, seemingly to mold it in his hands, the ring dangling from the end of it like a trinket. He smirked and threw it like a spear at Loki.

Dani had gotten up when she heard Tony's shouts of pain. She looked back at Loki then at Lanhr as he threw chain turned weapon. She really think about it when she took a step to the side, gasping when the spear slid through her chest instead of Loki's.

A golden dagger appeared in Loki's hand and she threw it without thinking at Lanhr. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke and she ran over to Dani, catching her from behind. She helped her sit against the wall until Dani waved her off. "Get to Tony," she said as she took deep breathes. "I'll be fine for now." Loki looked at her then ran over to Tony.

"Tony, look at me, I'm here." She put her hands on his chest as she looked at his face. It was covered in blood and she tried to wipe it away from his eyes.

"Fuck, it hurts, you need to get it the fuck out of my eye," Tony growled out as he tried to keep his breathing even. "I can't get it, my body is tingling and won't move and i don't like that, but I can feel the glass. Get. It. Out!"

"Calm down, it's okay," she said as she ran her hand along the back of his neck. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath before her hand started to glow, slowly repairing the damage to his spine. The chain had been to hard, it had severed nerves and muscle, almost fracturing the spine itself when it was pulled off. Tony suddenly grabbed her arm and she opened her eyes.

"I'm pissed," he said as he body shook with the pain.

"I know," she nodded. "Now hold still, this is going to hurt." She grasped the piece of lens and pulled it out quickly, tossing it to the side and placing a glowing finger over the spot to stop the blood. Tony sucked in a breath when Loki pulled him up quickly.

"What are- fuck." He saw Dani against the wall. Loki helped him make his way over and he took her hand. "Hey, hey now, this isn't supposed to be here." She let out a little laugh then winced in pain. Loki left the room quickly, but they didn't notice.

"No, I imagine it isn't supposed to be," she squeezed his hand a little. "But I couldn't let it be in Loki instead. I don't think he, she, whoever, would be coming back from that again."

"You fit right in in the family, you know that right," she let out a little chuckle and nodded. "You know I didn't mean anything five years ago, right? You were dating my baby girl, but you were what she needed. I saw that, and you became part of the family that day."

"You really are a sweet talker, Tony Stark," she coughed a little. "Too bad I'm not into guys."

"I wanted you to marry her," he told her and she looked at him. "I wanted you to get immortality, I would have figured out a way for you to have her child."

"I know you would have," she smiled at him.

"Dani?" Tony looked up and saw Emma run in. "Dani, oh god baby." He moved away as Emma fell to her knees in front of her. Tony looked up at Loki and she shook her head a little. There was no saving Dani, not from the position the spear was in.

"Hey," Dani smiled as she took Emma's hand. "There's that beautiful face. Listen, I just want to tell you that it'll be okay, and you're going to get through this, all of it."

"I will, because you're going to be there with me," Emma said as she put her hand on Dani's cheek. She leaned into her hand.

"Not this time, babe. Make it cold for me, please? You know I love it." Emma's hands started to turn blue and Dani smiled, closing her eyes. "Now it feels like home, like I'm with you. Thank you," she kissed Emma's hand softly.

"Baby?" Emma moved closer, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Dani, baby please, I need you with me, please." She let out a sob when Dani's head fell into her hand, her chest stopped moving. Tony closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. How had everything gone so wrong, so fast?


	37. Chapter 37

**A****/N: Drama!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"You have to tell me what's happening, now," Tony said as he shut the door to the study. He had gotten Loki alone. He needed to know what as happening and what to do before anyone else got hurt or killed. He was about to lock the door when it was pushed open by Emma. He let her walk in and she shut and locked the door. She threw the spear on a table and looked between the two of them.

"What was it supposed to mean?" She asked quietly. "There was a reason that he used that chain, with that ring, to kill her. I want to know why."

"Em," Tony started but Loki grabbed his arm.

"It was meant for me," she told her and Emma frowned. "She stepped in the way of it to save me."

"Why?" Emma looked at her, not knowing it was Loki. "Why would she do that? I needed her more, I don't even know you!"

"Emma," Tony stepped forward and took her hand gently. "I know-"

"No!" She pulled away. "The way Dad died was different! We don't even know this woman! All we know if that you've grown attached to her because you needed something to do. Why should I care about her? Give me one good reason when she's the reason that Dani is dead!"

"Because it's Loki," Tony said looking at her. Emma stopped and looked at Tony then over at Loki. "She did it because that's Loki and she didn't want you to lose your parent again."

"She knew?" Emma asked quietly, looking back at Tony frowning.

"She figured it out shortly before Lanhr showed up," Tony answered. Emma dropped into a chair, looking at the ground. "I didn't know until a few hours ago."

"Alright, spill it," she said after a few minutes, looking up. "Tell us everything. I think we deserve it." 

* * *

_Loki gasped, eyes widening when he felt the spear push through his back. "I was hoping that I wouldn't have had to do it this way," he heard Gauton talking behind him as he fell to his knees. "I would have liked it if you were alive, but I can work with it if you're dead as well." Loki took a breath and closed his eyes. He didn't have much time, he had to work quickly and he needed complete concentration._

_He pulled off his ring, letting out a faint whine when he felt the bond with Tony break, a hollow pain in his chest. He needed to get somewhere to heal. Loki started to mumble under his breath quickly. "What are you trying, pet?" Gauton leaned down but Loki didn't open his eyes. He could feel the build up of power, he was almost done. "Don't worry, when I"m done you'll always be by my side. I might let you take take your lover as gift."_

_"You'll do nothing, if you can't have me," he growled out, looking at Gauton. "And you'll never find me now." Loki let the spell release and he gasped as he disappeared from Hel, appearing somewhere on a hill. he started to slide down and let out a shout when he rolled over his stomach, the force pushed the spear out of his body._

_He hit the bottom, rolling into some brush and groaned. He took difficult breath, glowing hand resting on his stomach as his vision blackened, eyes closing._

_Loki gasped and his eyes shot open suddenly. His heart was racing and his chest hurt. There was a hand over his chest and he tried to move when someone was leaning over him, hand glowing green. Someone else was holding onto his shoulders from behind._

_"Shhh, stop," the person above him said softly. It was a woman. He blinked his eyes to clear them up, but didn't stop trying to move away. "If you keep moving you'll make your wounds worse. We're not going to hurt you, or your children." Loki stopped and looked at her. She was elven, but he could sense another magic from her. Fae. "You are a friend of the Fae here, Loki."_

_She pulled her hand away and the hands on his shoulders slowly moved away too. He sat up slowly and looked down. Blood stained his clothes but the wound was healed as well as they could do. "We felt when you came here, so you probably shouldn't stay." He turned and saw a man behind him, the one who must have been holding him down. "Others will have felt it, and the ones who are after you will surely find you." Loki frowned and started to move away._

_"It wasn't that hard to tell that you were running," the woman said as she wiped her hands off. "Don't use your magic, any of your magic. You need it to continue healing, and for the children, and the less you use the harder it is to track you."_

_"Why are you helping me?" He asked cautiously._

_"We hear rumors from the Nine Realms," the man said as he started to walk. The woman followed and waved her arm for Loki to follow. "And from what we've heard Gauton is after you."_

_"Why?" Loki frowned. "Why is he doing this now?"_

_"Because things have changed," the woman replied as he followed them through a forest. "There is a new ruler of Helheim, a new King of Asgard, King Frey talks of putting his heir on the throne, and Vanaheim has lost Kasir, one of the last who can see beyond the Realms."_

_"You are unique among the Fae, Trickster," the man continued. "You were born Jotun, given Asgardian form and powers, and then changed to a Fae. There has never been one like you before, and there possibly never shall be one like you. You were changed by one of the last original, pure, Fae, your powers are strong."_

_"I still don't understand what the changes in the Realms, and what I am have anything to do with Gauton." Loki hoped he wasn't being foolish by following them._

_"He would control you again, put you on the throne of Jotunheim," the man turned to look at him. "You would be imbued with the powers of a King. He would then use you to turn his attention to Muspelheim, release Surtur, and then gain the allegiance of the dwarves on Nidavellir. Every realm would have been affected, the essence of each realm weakened."_

_"And with you at his side as his pet he would gain the power of each Realm, collecting the power." Loki's eyes widened a little. "You know, for someone who's supposed to be one of the smartest beings in the Nine Realms, it sure took you a while to catch on." Loki shot a glare at the man._

_"If this is true then I need to keep moving. I need to all but disappear from the realms." The two fae nodded._

_"We'll spread the word that you've died," the woman said. "For that's how we found you." Loki looked at them and nodded a little. "This is as far as we can help you."_

_"It would be foolish of you to go back to Midgard," the man told Loki. "If you want to keep your family safe, then they have to think that you're dead."_

_"Don't tell me what I have to do," Loki hissed and removed his bloody jacket. "Specially when it comes to my family. I thank you for your help, but your opinion is not wanted past that point." He glared and started to walk away._

_The woman hit the fae's arm. "You could have handled that better."_

* * *

Tony stood in the door watching the twins sleep. Tyr and Lya looked up at him from the floor and he put a finger to his mouth. They both put their heads back down, still protecting the boys. He shut the door a little and walked back down the hall. He needed time in his lab.

Loki was waiting by the elevator with a wet cloth in her hand. "You need to take care of your eye, or you'll risk infection and losing it completely."

"It's not like I didn't almost lose it before," he said walking onto the elevator. Loki followed him and held the cloth out. Tony sighed and took it wiping his face off. He looked at it to see that there must have still been a good deal on blood on his face. He was glad that the boys had still been asleep, he wouldn't have wanted them to see that. They didn't say anything as the elevator moved.

Tony headed for his lab, knowing that Loki was right behind him. He didn't know what was going to happen. "JARVIS, bring up all the readings of the barrier, sensors, vital signs, everything running right now to protect us." Screens started to pop up and Tony dropped the cloth on the table. He pulled open his desk drawer and grabbed another pair of glasses.

"Will you let me heal your eye before you set to work?" Loki asked before he could put the glasses on. "You'll be no use to anyone if you can't focus."

Tony sighed a little and put the glasses down. She walked over and put a glowing finger by his eye. He closed them and winced a little. When Loki had pulled away he put his glasses on and looked at the screens in front of him. "Five years is a long time," he said as he sifted through all the screens. "No word, no nothing. It took me a week before I could even walk into the bedroom again. It took much longer than that before I would even leave the Tower."

Tony sat down and ruffled his hair a little. "I had to put up with someone coming over everyday to check on me. Eindride almost didn't want to go to school because he didn't want me to live alone. Do you know how long it took me to come to terms with the fact that weren't coming back?" Tony turned to look at her. "And now you tell us that apparently you're a key to the survival of the Nine realms. It felt like I was dying when you were gone, and then they gave me your ring. I lived alone for so many years before I met you, and I'll be damned if I wasn't good at it. But now, I wasn't even able to handle one night by myself. I have the dogs with me every night, they're the only reason I'm able to get to sleep at night. It took me five years to be happy again."

Loki looked down a little. "I'm sorry."

Tony groaned and dropped his head back a little. "Now, I'm going to feel like a jackass. Just, let me be angry while I figure out how to keep everyone safe. Stay in the boys room, the dogs will sleep there too to make sure you stay safe. They're good at that." He turned back to the screens. "If luck is with me right now, which I doubt, Emma won't have told everyone yet and I won't have to deal with everyone coming here at once. I've had enough of their concern to last for a while."

"Perhaps we can talk later, before everyone comes over, and we've been able to sleep," Loki half suggested, half asked.

"We'll see, I should at least be in a better mood in the morning." Loki nodded and left the lab. Tony sighed and dropped his head on the desk. He'd look at the readings, set up some more outside defenses to stop Gauton and Lanhr from getting inside again, then he'd try and get some sleep.

Tony walked into his room and sighed looking around. He shut the door and pulled off his shirt. This would be the first night that he slept truly alone in the room, and the one he used to share the room with was just down the hall. He pulled out a pair of pajama bottoms from the dresser and slipped them on before moving to the bed.

He tossed and turned for a bit before settling on his side, too exhausted. He was almost asleep when he turned to the side, his arm falling out to land on the empty side of the bed. Except it wasn't empty. "I don't think it's the best idea to sleep here," Tony mumbled out tiredly. He rolled onto his back and stretched his arms a little.

"I hadn't planned on sleeping." Tony's eyes shot open at the voice. Someone suddenly sat down on his hips. He could see Lanhr's face as a spell started to glow in his hands. "Of course, you aren't going to be sleeping either. We need a back up plan, feel honored, pet." He quickly pushed the spell into Tony's chest and he wheezed out a breath as pain wracked his body back arching.

"We're going to try and make you even better than Loki, just in case of course." Tony tried to move, tried to get Lanhr off of him as a second voice in the room spoke, but the pain and the spell restricted his movements. "Although this time we don't have the advantage of time, so we have to do this quickly." Tony was able to look over and saw Gauton standing by the bed, a spell in his palm. "After we're done with you, we'll get Loki, but after so long I need to relieve my frustration and anger somehow. And I've heard positively glowing things from Lanhr about you."

He placed the orb on Tony's chest, on top of the arc reactor, and it started to sink in. Tony's eyes widened and his mouth opened in a soundless scream as his body started to burn from the inside.


	38. Chapter 38

**A****/N: Drama!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Loki opened her eyes when she heard scratching at the door and felt something wet on her hand. She frowned and saw Lya scratching at the door and Tyr at the bedside. Looking over she saw that the boys were still asleep, the pups sleeping on either side of them. She silently got up, grabbing a robe on the chair and slipped it on. When she opened the door Lya ran out. Loki drew a couple of runes on the door before she closed it and followed Tyr down the hall. Lya was scratching and whining at Tony's door and Loki frowned.

She saw the door handle move and she moved down the hall to hide in the shadow. Lya growled but whimpered she she was kicked away from the door by Lanhr. Tyr stood over Lya and growled loudly, barking at him.

"Dad?" Loki's head turned when he heard Emma coming down the hall. She reached out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back a second before a magenta fireball hit the wall. She gasped and looked over at the door as it slammed shut. Emma pulled away from Loki and started to pound on the door "Dad!"

"Emma, wait," she walked over to the door, running two fingers along the edges, glowing green. "It's spelled shut." She shivered a little and looked to see Emma's arms turning blue. She placed them on the door and frost started to cover the door. Once it was covered in frost and ice she made a motion to Loki towards the door. Loki tried not frown but put her hands together conjuring a large orb of power and launching it at the door. It shattered and Emma was the first to run in.

No one else was in the room but there was some kind of glowing sphere sitting on Tony's chest. Loki grabbed Emma's arm before she could reach Tony. "Let go! Someone has to be there for him." Loki winced a little but didn't let go. He reached over and grabbed a pen from the bedside table and tossed it over towards Tony. It hit a barrier that crackled with magenta and brown power and it shot back across the room, embedding itself in the wall.

"You wouldn't be here at all if I had let go," she said before letting go of her arm. Loki walked around Tony, trying to see what had happened. "Both Lanhr and Gauton were here." She leaned down at the edge of the barrier and looked over at Tony. "Tony, can you hear me? I need to know if you're conscious." She watched carefully then saw Tony's fingers twitch. "Alright, good, I'm going to try and get past this barrier."

"What's happening to him?" Emma asked, arms crossed across her chest as she watched Tony.

"I'm not sure exactly why, but they're trying to change him again," Loki said quietly, hands glowing, moving in different rune formations.

"I thought they couldn't do that to him anymore," Emma frowned and looked over at Loki. "That he was already part Fae because of you."

Loki swallowed once but didn't take stop her spell working. "They weren't able to, when we still had our soul bond." She put a hand over the barrier and it crackled around her palm. A slight brown tinge leaked into Loki's green magic and the barrier fell. Loki made a face and winced, then shook her hand out.

"So they were able to do this because of you?" Emma dropped her arms then moved over to the bed. Loki took the crystal off of Tony's chest gently and he gasped a little. "You've been back for less than a day now? Anything else going to happen?"

Tony winced a little. "Em," he shook his head a little. Loki watched him, frowning when she looked at his bad eye. It wasn't exactly blue anymore, but seemed to swirl a little with magenta and brown around the edges. She looked back down at the crystal before put her palm over the top of it, letting her green magic sink down into it before setting it down on the side table.

"Are you okay? What can we do?" Emma looked him over for any visible injuries and he shook his head a little. She looked up at Loki. "Do the bond again, make it so they can't do this again."

"No!" Tony tried to stretched out his arms a little. "No, don't. They're expecting that."

Loki frowned watching him. "But their power will spread if we don't get them out of you. It'll be worse than last time, Tony, trust me."

"I know, but if you do the bond then they'll know where you are," Tony took a breath and his muscles seemed to tense in pain for a second. "It'll latch onto you, and they'll get you for sure."

"Dad, you can't be thinking about-" Tony put a hand on Emma's to stop her.

"Stop worrying about me, I've been telling everyone that for years." Tony flexed his hands. "I've been through this before and I can deal with it again. This time I know how to fight against it."

"That when it was just Lanhr, Tony," Loki told him. "This time it's mixed with Gauton's power. I don't know what both are going to do to you."

"Just help me up," Tony said, trying to sit up. "It's time we warned everyone else, I don't think we can wait." 

* * *

_Loki looked around when he landed and started to walk quietly. He had managed to find another path out of Alfheim, but wasn't sure where this one had led him. It was dark, but not for long, and he wanted to find shelter before daylight. He found that it was easier to travel during the night, and sleep during the day, hidden away from wandering eyes._

_The landscape was rocky and barren so he was no where hospitable. Luckily though it didn't take long to find a cave to rest in, and he moved as far back as he dared. Loki pulled the bag around his shoulders off and pulled out several blankets. He had stocked up on supplies before he left, knowing that he wouldn't be able to use his magic for a while, at least until he was strong enough to hide it's use._

_As he sat down on one blanket and pulled another over him he sensed something beside him. "He looked over and saw Hela, smirking at him, sitting on the ground. He could easily tell that she was an apparition though._

_"The great and mighty Loki is on the run, from a couple of Fae no less." Loki tried to ignore her as he rearranged his bag, taking out a flask of water and taking a drink. "Would you like me to watch over your family for you? Update you as the days go on?"_

_"I'd absolutely adore it if you left me alone," he told her, still not looking at her. "Aren't you afraid that you'll be found if you use what little power you have? Since you don't have a realm anymore this must be rather tiring for you." She snarled at him and he smirked a little._

_"You're family mourns, you're precious husband makes himself sick over the 'loss'." Loki frowned and grabbed a rock throwing it at her. It passed through her image but it didn't disappear. "Their pain is so delightful to me. Tell me, when you eventually return, will they hate you? Will I be reveling in your pain next?"_

_"Leave me be," he growled at her. "Isn't it enough for you right now? Leave me so I can rest. I know you enjoy watching this little game, just like I know that you were the one to help them escape."_

_"I like dipping my fingers in a few pies, it's true," she smiled. "I suppose I'll leave, I have a feeling you won't be too much fun tonight anyway. But trust that I'll be watching with bated breath as I watch the chase."_

_Loki frowned as she disappeared and rested his hand on his stomach. He couldn't listen to her, he had a plan, but right now he needed to gather his recourses and energies. He'd see them again, he promised himself he would._


	39. Chapter 39

**A****/N: Drama!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Loki sat in a chair as they waited for everyone to make it over to the Tower. She was rubbing her fingers with her thumb as she thought. Loki looked up when she heard the elevator door open and saw Gabby and Steve walk in, Steve holding a sleep 11 year old Bry in a blanket, and Gabby holding a two year old boy. Tony nodded his head down the hall and Steve kissed Gabby's cheek, taking the little boy in his other arm gently and heading down the hall. Gabby had just clipped her hair up on top of her head, at 3 in the morning they didn't really care what they looked like.

Loki glanced up when she heard the quinjet landing on the roof. Emma had gone to get Chris while Kaia and Nathan would be coming with Eindride. Loki wasn't exactly sure that bringing everyone in one place was the best idea, but it was better than everyone being in different places when they didn't know where the two Fae were.

"So, what's going on that a 3 am call was needed?" The elevator door opened and Clint walked out with Lee and Bruce. Tony, Gabby and Steve came back out and Tony motioned for the living room.

Loki saw Tony's body tense again, the powers inside of him still working, slowly staking it's claim. Lanhr and Gauton have escaped Hel," Tony said as everyone sat down. "Hela is still down there, though."

"How do you know all this?" Steve frowned and looked at Tony.

"Because they were here," Loki said and everyone looked at her. The kids had appeared in the room and now Loki felt all eyes on her.

"I don't think we know you," Bruce spoke up first. Emma snorted a little. Loki took a breath and glanced at Tony before closing his eyes. He felt his illusion slide off and heard the gasps, felt the tension in the room.

"Yeah, we all know him," Emma said as she crossed her arms. "And why don't you tell them what's happened since you decided to come back."

"Emma," Tony frowned looking over at her.

"They're going to find out, they have to know," she took a breath and looked over at Loki. "Tell them that they were looking for you, and then they found you. And as soon as you came back here they attacked. Tell them how they're changing dad again because you killed the bond between you two, tell them how since you came back, they killed Dani." Her eyes welled up with tears, but she never let go of the anger. "All because you lied and hid, but you got selfish, and now we're all suffering." She let out of a breath and walked away.

"Em," Tony started to move but Loki was up first, following her. "Loki, I don't think-"

"If I don't do this now, I'll have another chance, she'll never let me," he said quietly. He walked down the hall, ignoring the talking coming from the living room, and found Emma standing by the window at the end. "If I could have saved her, I would have."

"But you didn't," she didn't turn around to look at him. "She's still gone, and I'll never get her back." Loki felt the area chill. "Unlike you, she's not coming back."

"Emma, I can't stop you from blaming me, but I beg of you to not follow your anger down this path." She turned around then, throwing a glare his way, her eyes Jotun red. "Please, don't let it consume you like this."

"How can you say that to me?" She took a step closer to him. "You left us for five years! I watched Dad cry over you, I watched him slowly break apart, slowly change because of you! And where were you? Running away!" He didn't say anything and she growled a little, before throwing a punch and hitting his shoulder. He winced and was jerked back by it. "What gives you the right to tell me not to get angry?"

"Because I've been there before, I've let my anger guide me," Loki told her. She hit his other shoulder and he didn't stop her. "I know where it ends, and I don't want to see you do that to yourself."

"Did your father try and talk you out of it? Did you listen to him too?" Her lip snarled a little.

"No, he didn't," Loki shook his head. "He didn't even know what was happening and by the time he saw it he fell into the Odinsleep. I followed my anger and I almost killed my brother, my father and my mother, I killed my birth father, and I almost destroyed an entire world and race." That caught Emma a little off guard. "I let myself fall into the hands of a mad Titan who tortured me, and the only escape I could find was to come here and almost destroy the world. If it weren't for my mother I would have been beheaded before coming back here and finding Tony again."

Emma snorted a little and crossed her arms. "So you think that I'll destroy a world? You think I'm capable of that?"

"I do," Loki answered, nodding. "Your's is a righteous anger, of losing the one you love. Mine wasn't." He stepped closer to her, feeling the cold surround her. "Like I said, I won't stop you from blaming me, I blame myself, how can I not, but I just beg of you. Think of it as a last request, that I hope you take with anything inside of you that still sees me as your father."

She looked at him, frowning, her jaw tightening. She hit his chest once, then again, over and over, her eyes welling up with tears, until she was crying, falling into his chest. Loki caught her as she pressed her face into his chest. He rubbed her back, resting his cheek against her head.

"It's not your fault," she said into his shirt. "It's not your fault she's gone, please don't blame yourself, please." Emma held onto him tightly. "I don't blame you, I was just so angry, and you were the closest one to get angry at. Please don't blame yourself." Loki held onto her and closed his eyes. "You're still my dad, you'll always be my dad and I'll always love you."

"I know it hurts, I know it does, and I'm so sorry," he rubbed her neck as he spoke quietly. "I'm sorry that I've had to put you all through this pain." 

* * *

_Loki wandered through the market, hair long, stomach big. He knew that he was close to having the twins and had decided to travel in disguise. It seemed to be working as shop keepers felt more apt to give him free food and clothing in his female guise. He had everything he needed for the first couple of months._

_A pain shot through his stomach and he stopped, making a little face. He didn't have long to make it to the hidden pathways through the realms. Putting a hand on his stomach he moved out of the market and out of the city._

_He had been scouting the realms as he traveled, looking for a place that he would be able to have the twins and stay without worrying about having to move right away. He never thought that he would miss Tony acting like a mother hen, making him see Bruce, using the ultrasound machine to check on the babes._

_"It's alright, you're going to be alright, and one day you'll meet your father and your siblings." He said quietly as he moved through the land, hopefully unnoticed. "You'll see just how strange they all are, but they're family, and I couldn't have asked for a better one." He moved into the trees. "I promise that you won't be alone. I promise."_


	40. Chapter 40

**A****/N: Drama!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Gabby looked up at Tony when Loki left the room and he leaned against a chair arms tensing a little. "Dad?" He looked over at Kaia and Eindride, bewildered expression still on their faces.

"I wish this was the only thing that we had to deal with, but this isn't even the most important thing," Tony said.

"Not the most important?" Eindride asked. "Dad coming back from the dead isn't the most important?"

"No, it's not," Tony shook his head. "Losing him again is. There's a reason that Lanhr and Gauton were here, and they're the reason that Loki's been gone for five years."

"And Dani?" Kaia asked quietly and Tony looked to the side.

"Tony?" Everyone turned at the small voice that spoke up. Tomas was standing there, blanket in one hand, holding Sanders hand with the other. Tony got up and walked over, kneeling in front of them and they walked into his arms. "We couldn't sleep, and Momma wasn't there."

"It's okay," he said softly, running his hand through their hair. "Did something wake you up? Was it a bad dream?" They both shook their heads. "Alright, that's okay." They both peeked past Tony to look at all the people in the room. "Do you want to meet everyone? I know it's a lot of people."

"Who are they?" Steve whispered.

"Um, well, they were Yvonne's kids," Clint started, sounding confused. "Then Yvonne turned out to be Loki, so their Loki's?"

"Who's the other parents?" Bruce asked the question they were all thinking.

Emma and Loki walked back into the room and Loki blinked seeing the twins up. He rubbed Emma's shoulder a little and walked over to them, leaning down next to Tony. "Hey, what are you two doing up?" As Loki's hand touched their cheeks their glamour dropped as well.

The twins kept their brown hair color, but it was more obvious that they looked like Loki, and Tony. Tomas had Tony's amber eyes while Sander had Loki's green eyes, but that was the only difference between them. They looked more like Tony than Loki.

"We woke up, and Lya and Tyr were gone, and so were you," Sander said quietly. Loki gently kissed their foreheads.

"It's still awfully late for you to be up," Loki took the blanket and wrapped it around both of them, pulling it so they bumped against each other, making them giggle a little.

"Will you tell us a story?" Tomas asked. "We like to hear your stories."

"And which one do you want to hear?" Loki continue to tie the blanket like a cape around their shoulders.

"One of the ones about Daddy," Sander said and Tony looked over at Loki. "Those ones are exciting."

Loki smiled a little, almost sadly, at them and moved the hair from their foreheads. He looked over at Tony. "Do we perhaps have a few minutes?" Tony nodded a little and Loki looked back at the boys. "Do you remember that I would tell you a story about Daddy one day, and that he would be there help tell the story?" They both nodded eagerly. "Good, now let's go back to the room, and start the story." He stood up, taking the ends of the blanket around them.

"I'll be there in a second," Tony said softly and Loki nodded. He turned back tot he slightly shocked faces of the others. "Another surprise, kind of got me too, those are apparently my sons." He looked at Emma, Kaia, and Eindride. "You have two new siblings. They're very shy, don't talk much, except around people that they know, which is well, Loki and me."

"That seems to be the opposite of the Stark name," Eindride commented.

Tony nodded and glanced back towards the room. "I'll uh, I'll be back." He turned and headed for the bedroom.

Loki had tucked the boys back under the covers, the pups still on the bed. "And he's a brave man," Loki said quietly to them. Tony walked in and shut the door slightly.

"Is he here?" Tomas asked and Loki nodded, getting excited.

"He is," Loki confirmed. "Would you be happy if I said you'd get to see Tony more often? That we would be staying here for a while?"

"Living here," Tony corrected him. "You'll be living here." He sat down on the bed and smiled softly at them.

"Tomas, Sander," Loki took their hands. "Tony is your Daddy, the brave man who puts up on a suit to save lots of people, the ma-"

"We get to live here in this big place with him?" Tomas asked with big eyes, cutting off Loki. Loki glanced at Tony.

"Yeah, is that okay?" Tony looked at them. "It doesn't have to be this room, you can pick a room later. You can each have your own room, or you can share a room."

"And Runa and Vigi get to stay with us, right?" Sander asked Tony.

"Of course," Tony smiled. The boys snuggled down into the blankets then. "You're both taking this quite well."

"Dad has told us stories about you all the time," Tomas told him. "We've been waiting to see you."

"And we already know you, and we like you," Sander continued. "We're happy your our Daddy." Tony leaned over and kissed their foreheads before tucking the blanket up to their noses and they giggled.

"Alright you two hooligans, it's time for you to sleep. Adults gotta talk," Tony told them and Loki fixed the blankets. "When you wake up you can meet your older brother and sisters."

"Will they be living here too?" Sander asked as Runa snuggled closer to him.

"No, they're old enough to have moved out, so it'll be just us here," Tony told them. "They'll come and visit sometimes, though. I think that you're stalling." Sander tried to hide his yawn and Tony smiled. "Sleep, little boy."

Tony and Loki stepped out in the hall, Loki redoing the runes on the door before closing it. He took Tony's wrist before they went out and pulled him closer to him. "What-" Tony stopped when Loki pulled on his shirt and kissed him. Tony closed his eyes and put a hand on Loki's chest. When Loki pulled away Tony looked at him. "Okay, that was cheap, because you know I can't say no to your kisses."

Loki started to pick at his hair. "I missed doing that. Your hair is longer, and I don't think I told you that I like it."

"This doesn't mean that everything is okay, you know," Tony said, letting Loki do what he wanted. "There's a lot we're going to have to talk about, to work through."

"I know, I don't expect it to be easy," Loki told him, letting go of him. Tony looked at him and let out a breath before leaning forward towards Loki. He stopped, gasping suddenly and putting a hand to his chest. Loki caught his arms. "Tony? What happened?"

"Sharp pain, nothing to worry about," he lied. Loki took his hand and he squeezed it tightly as the pain traveled through his chest. "Fuck," he dropped his head on Loki's shoulders. "Alright, I have to tell you something, cause this really hurts." Loki frowned a little. "When they were here, they said they were doing this, changing me, as a back up, in case they couldn't get you." He leaned against Loki more and took a deep breath as the pain slowly receded. "So, does this mean I'm gonna have powers like yours? Cause while that would be kind of cool, I liked having limited powers. I'm a builder you know, I like to build things and work with my hands."

Loki ran his hand through Tony's hair. "No, I won't let that happen to you. Let me do the soul bond, let me get them out of you before it's too late."

"No, absolutely not," Tony shook his head. "That would be like you waving the white flag to them."

"So you would risk becoming like this permanently?" Loki frowned at him. "It's not worth it, Tony. The pain that it will cause, the risk of having them in control of you."

"I would risk it all," Tony said looking at him. "Because I'm not going to risk losing you again. I swear Loki, if I have to go through it again, real or not, I won't make it through, not this time. "Last month, I wasn't kidding about what I said. It has been heartbreakingly hard for me to try and live without you, and I won't survive being able to do that again. So if I'm able to stop that from happening, then I'll do it, without a second thought, because as much as I'm angry right now, I still love you and need you around."

Loki had been watching him as he talked then pulled him into his arms. "We're both fools."

"At least we're fools together," Tony chuckled a little, trying to cover another wince of pain. 

* * *

_Loki lifted the curtain of vines a little and slipped into the cave. He had covered the walls and floor in thick moss to help block the cold of the stone and created small heaters out of stones with a little bit of magic. He walked over to the makeshift bed and saw the twins sitting under the covers, trying to hide. He smiled and lifted the overs, exposing their giggles, and dropped his guise back to Dad._

_"Are you two trying to hide? Hmm?" He sat down across from them and pulled them towards his lap. The two year olds wiggled around, each holding onto the stuffed animals that Loki had made them. "It's getting late and it's time for all little boys to go to sleep." They started to shake their heads, trying to get away. "I'll tell you a story about your Daddy." They stopped and moved over to their side of the bed._

_Loki moved over and brought the blanket over them before sitting next to them, brushing his fingers through their hair. They were going to look exactly like Tony when as they grew up. "You're Daddy is a very brave man, and he wears a suit of metal armor. This suit lets him fly, and beat bad guys, he saves lots of people, and he keeps his family safe. But do you know what makes this suit so special?" The boys shook their heads at the same time. "He makes it himself, much like I made these," he said and touched the stuffed animals. "Only it's much harder, because metal is very hard. Your Daddy is very smart, because he makes lots of stuff, and he makes stuff that no one knew could be made."_

_Loki could see that the boys were listening intently, but they were getting tired. "He's not very tall, but he's very special. And do you know what he's doing right now?" He watched as their eyes started to close, fighting to listen to the end of the story. "He's waiting for us to come home to him." Loki ran his fingers across their cheeks as they fell asleep. "And we won't have to live in caves anymore, there will be a nice warm bed every night." Loki watched them as they slept, taking a little longer than usual to sleep himself._


	41. Chapter 41

**A****/N: Drama!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

A sort of base of operations had been set up in the Tower after Tony and Loki went back to fill everyone in on Gauton and Lanhr. All the younger kids were still asleep as the sun started to come up. Tony and Loki were trying to find a way to get a message to Thor, Anya, and Kasir without tipping the Fae off. They couldn't use the bifrost, and any magical messages were be intercepted and stopped. Loki was a little wary about using one of the secret paths out, but would as a last resort if they needed too.

Tony watched as Nathan, Eindride, Emma, and Kaia all sat on the couch talking to Loki. No one had started to hit each other yet so he assumed it was going relatively well. He grit his teeth a little as he felt the magic moving inside of him, and slipped away quietly down the hall.

He had hoped to be able to make it to the elevator and down to his lab, but as he felt his knees buckle a little he knew that wouldn't happen. Tony slid down against the wall and brought his knees up as pain spread throughout his chest. It didn't stop there this time and he started to pant, trying not to alert anyone else.

"You're not looking so hot." Tony looked over and saw Clint walking towards him.

"Ha, actually I'm feeling very hot, mostly on the inside," He tried to let out a chuckle but it came out pained. "Shit, this fucking hurts, and it's not going away this time."

"Do you want me to get Loki?" Tony shook his head quickly. "You're both so stubborn, both ready to die for the other."

"You're telling me that you wouldn't do the same for Lee?" Tony glanced over at him.

"If there was no other choice, yeah," Clint sat down across from him. "But if there was a way that both of us would make it out, then I'd do that. Whatever injuries we took would be worth it, because at least we'd still be with each other."

"You are a special man, Barton." Tony leaned his head down and bit down on his knee to stop a shout of pain. "Listen, I feel like this right here is like the point of no return. So if I don't get a chance to do it, I need you to tell Loki something for me."

"I most certainly do Not like the sound of that, Stark." Clint frowned.

"It's coming to a point where he won't be able to pull this from me anymore, and he's gonna worry, I mean no shit he's gonna worry." Clint rolled his eyes a little. "So you tell him that A, he's not allowed to blame himself, because we all know he will, and B, that he'd better find a way to make sure he becomes my Master."

"And when you say Master-" Clint smirked at Tony's glare. "Yeah, I get it, if anyone is gonna be in charge of you, you'd rather it be him."

"If he gets angry enough, Loki will find a way to do it." Tony dropped his head down on his knees. "I hope no one else has to go through this. It feels like little hooks attaching to whatever other energy is in me, then it feels like someone is taking my soldering gun and melting the edges together."

"So, not a pleasant feeling then?" Clint offered, and Tony chuckled a little.

"Not so much, I'm not that much of a masochist." Clint snorted.

"I don't know, you married Loki."

"I wish I had something to throw at you."

=======

"Loki?" Loki stopped and turned in the hall at the soft voice that called. he saw Gabby walking towards him. "I see I'm not the only one who had a little boy."

"Ah, yes," he nodded, smiling a little. "You didn't have twins this time though."

"There's always next time," she put her hand on her stomach.

"Already?" Loki blinked a little and she nodded. They looked at each for a second and he walked closer, hugging her. She let out a breath and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, sweety.'

"I think I can understand now. I'd hate to think it, but I do believe that if faced with the same situation, Steve or I would do something similar," she rubbed his arm a little. "We always do what seems to be the stupidest stuff when trying to keep our loved ones safe."

"I hope you never have to do this." They started walking down the hall together. "What's his name?"

"Andrew Steven," she smiled a little. "I think he's going to take after Steve, he's the only one that can get him to sleep at night."

"There could be worse role models," Loki chuckled a little. They stopped at a door and she opened it silently. Loki looked inside and saw that Bry was asleep on the bed and there was a a kids mattress on the floor that Andrew was asleep on. "He just recently moved to a bigger bed, but the beds here are too high," Gabby whispered. Loki nodded a little, watching them. "He's the fastest one to move out of the crib so far."

"Eindride didn't like his crib," Loki told said. "He liked sleeping in our room though. He didn't like it so much when he moved to a regular bed and it wasn't in our room."

"What about the twins?" She asked gently.

"I was unable to have the luxury of a crib," Loki said and Gabby closed the door to the room. "But, when I came to Midgard I tried to get them used to having their own room. We had always shared a bed, it's not exactly easy transporting one mattress, much less two, when you're on the move."

"They're comfortable sleeping alone now?" She asked as they headed down the hall again.

"For the time being. My room was never far away in the apartment we were in," Loki told her. "It'll be an interesting change sleeping here."

"I didn't get to see much of them, but they seem to be relatively well adjusted."

Loki sighed a little and nodded. "They don't talk a lot, and when they do, it's only to those that they know and trust, which is currently to me and now Tony. They're shy and I'm afraid that it's partially do to with how they were raised. Caution and quiet were key to remaining undetected. I hope that by being here, they'll be able to open up some more."

Gabby stopped him and took one of his hands in hers. "You raised them better than could have been expected. Most other would never have been able to do what you did. But look now, they're in a home, where they're wanted and loved. You did right by them, Uncle." He nodded and squeezed her hand.


	42. Chapter 42

**A****/N: Drama!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony walked out into the kitchen to see that it was actually full of people and little kids. Bruce was at the stove next to Steve, Gabby was sitting at the island with Bry on one side and Andrew in her lap, and Loki was sitting with Tomas and Sander.

"I'm gone for like half an hour and my kitchen is raided," he said as he walked over ruffled the hair of the twins and tickled Bry's side. Loki watched him as he passed by.

"Well, we've been here for a while and since everyone was waking up we thought we'd make some food," Gabby said as she bounced Andrew on her knee a little.

"It's the least that you could offer up," Bruce commented with a smirk.

"I'm sacrificing my kitchen, I see how it is." Tony sat down on the other side of Tomas. "How long have you two been up?" He looked at the twins, and noticed how it took a little longer for them to answer. He hadn't actually realized how shy they were.

"They woke up about twenty minutes ago," Loki told him.

"Have you met everyone in here yet?" The boys shook their heads. "Well, I'm gonna introduce them, okay? They're like my family."

Loki leaned his head down to whisper between the two boys. "Try to say hello loud enough so they can hear it, yeah?" They nodded a little and Loki pat their backs.

"This is your cousin Gabby, and that's her husband Steve over there, the taller one," Tony pointed over and Steve turned around to wave. "That's little Andrew, he's 2, and that's Bry, she's 11, and they're Steve and Gabby's kids. The other guy cooking food is Uncle Bruce, he's cool because he likes science, just like me." Bruce snorted and smiled a little as he turned at his name.

"This Tomas," Loki put his hand on Tomas's head, "and this is Sander," he repeated the motion. "Can you tell them how old you are?"

Sander bit his lip a little, holding onto his stuffed animal. "We just turned five," Tomas answered quietly.

"You two look like uncle Tony," Bry said, sitting across from them. "Except you both have different colored eyes. That's how everyone will be able to tell you apart." The boys blinked at the same time. "Because you're both twins, and you look exactly the same. My brother Chris is a twin, and so are my two Uncles."

The twins looked at each other, leaning a little. Tony raised an eyebrow at them as they seemed to study each other. "You have green eyes," Tomas told his brother as they leaned back. "What color are mine?"

"Light brownish," Sander told him. They both turned them, Sander looking at Tony and Tomas looking at Loki. The two men leaned down so they could see their eyes.

"You have the same eyes as Dad, Sander," Tomas said decisively. "His are green, too!"

"I think you have the same eyes as Daddy," Sander was a little unsure and Loki looked over at them. "One eye is blueish, the other eyes keeps changing." Loki frowned at their sons words. "It's the same brown, but then I see another color, it's like a weird reddish color."

Loki stood up, not too fast so he didn't startle the boys, and walked over to Tony, lifting his head up. He slipped Tony's glasses off and saw magenta and brown spark in his blue eye every so often, and saw the two colors swirling around the edges of his amber eye. "Can this wait until after breakfast?" Tony asked quietly. Loki frowned a little but nodded and headed back to his seat.

Tony had hoped that Loki wouldn't be able to tell that something had changed, but he knew that that would be a fool's hope. He just hadn't been aware that it would a clear physical manifestation. They finished breakfast and Tony went with Tomas and Sander to socialize with Bry and Andrew some more, hoping that it would keep them occupied for a bit.

Loki was waiting for him outside of the living room when he thought that the boys felt comfortable enough with the other kids. He was thankful that Steve looked so trustful as he and Gabby were staying with the kids.

"You're not in pain anymore?" Loki asked quietly as they started walking.

"Not as much pain?" Tony admitted reluctantly. Loki watched him closely. "When I was gone before breakfast I was... hiding?"

Loki waited until they had walked into the elevator before taking Tony's face and looking into his eyes again. His fingers glowed a little but Tony didn't move. "Why didn't you find me? Tony, that had to have been agonizing."

"Oh it was," Tony nodded a little. "Extremely, but if you had been there you would have tried to stop it." Loki sighed as he pulled away. "I have a theory, but I just need you to tell me if I'm right or not. It's too late to stop the change, isn't it?" Loki just nodded a little. "Alright, I thought so." He started to snap with both hands, slapping his palm against his fist, in a nervous gesture that Loki recognized. "Is it gonna matter soon that we have all these barriers and sensors up? Or at those two gonna be able to show up whenever they want?"

Loki leaned against the back of the elevator as it stopped, neither man moving to leave. "No, it won't matter, and they will come." Tony swallowed and nodded a little.

"Alright, then I guess it's time that we make a plan," Tony said as he started to leave, Loki pushing himself up to follow. "We have limited time and we should start making a plan. I don't like being caught unaware."

"I've been traveling for over three years to try and make a plan," Loki told him as they walked into Tony's lab. "I haven't been able to come up with much."

"Well, that was when you were alone, and trying to protect two children. You work better with me, and you know it," Tony said pulling up some screens. "We have an idea what what they were going to use me for, and you have an idea of what their plan is, so we can work with this." Tony turned to look at him sitting down. "Okay, so we know that you're the key to Jotunheim, right?" Loki nodded. "So why don't we go and cut them off at the source. We make sure that the throne of Jotunheim is currently very secure. Isn't there some kind of way for you to like, pull all claims from the throne away?"

"Probably, but do you think it's going to be that easy?" Loki raised an eyebrow. "They'll not easily forget that they captured and tortured me, and that I killed an entire prison full of Jotuns."

"No, but maybe if we tell them what's happening, they'll be more inclined to listen before killing us," Tony suggested. "I'm having a hard time trying to figure out which scenario could be worse. Do you know if Frey is going to pass down the throne anytime soon?"

"I think you would actually know that better than me," Loki told him. he watched Tony shuffle his foot a little. "Of course only if you had actually visited Asgard more than one or two times in the past five years."

"Twice, that sounds about right," Tony nodded a little. "It was hard, okay! I was there last month and that was plenty hard, specially since I saw your mother."

"Yes, that I can believe. The next time you stay away too long she won't be so nice about it, you know that right?" Tony nodded.

"We could always go to Asgard first," Tony said. "Get them ready for a plan, or at least let them know that something is happening. Let them get prepared."

"It would be better if you went there alone to tell them, I'm afraid that showing up so suddenly would only delay us." Tony frowned a little at Loki.

"Now who's scared getting yelled at by Frigga?" Tony taunted.

"And rightfully so!" Loki crossed his arms. Tony snorted and smiled a little and turned back to his screens. They stayed in silence for a few moments before Loki spoke again. "I do not think that it is wise we travel together." Tony turned at his soft tone. "I have not been away from the boys for more than a few hours at a time since they were born, and I do not want them to have finally gotten a family only to lose it so quickly."

Tony walked over, to him, taking his hand and rubbing his fingers a little. "They won't, I promise."

"How can you give such a foolish promise?" Loki looked at him. "You cannot possibly guarantee something like that. The outcomes of this are-"

"I've given my word, and that's all there is too it." Tony shrugged a little and looked at him. "I keep my promises, and I'll be damned if a couple of assholes are going to keep us from our sons."

"And if you can't keep this promise?"

"That's not an option," Tony said confidently.


	43. Chapter 43

**A****/N: Drama!**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Loki sat across the Tomas and Sander on the floor and slipped a necklace with a pendant over each of their heads. "Gabby and Lee are going to watch you while we're gone. Steve and Clint will be here as well, as will Tyr and Lya. We won't be long."

"Do you have to stop someone bad?" Tomas asked quietly while Sander looked at his pendant.

"We do," Loki nodded. "There are two bad men out there, and they want to hurt everyone." Loki kissed their foreheads and Tony walked over, crouching down. "Daddy and I are going to stop them, because we don't want them hurting you, too."

"When we come back we'll take you up to meet your grandmother," Tony said. "She's the most amazing person you'll ever meet."

"What are these for?" Sander asked, holding up the pendant.

"Those are something very special," Loki said and held up Tomas's pendant to see. "If you both use these, and wish very hard, it will bring us to wherever you are. But you should only use them if something bad is happening." The twins looked up at him. "You remember how I said you were very smart boys?" They nodded. "Good, because I believe that you will know when to use them."

Tony ran his hand through their hair and smiled. "We'll be back sooner than you think." He hugged them both tightly before standing up. The boys pressed themselves into Loki's arms quickly and he held onto them, resting his cheek on their heads.

As Tony and Loki walked out they saw their three oldest waiting for them. "We'll keep an eye out for them," Kaia said as she hugged Loki first. "They're family, it's what we Starks do." She hugged Tony next.

"We'll have to tell them all your embarrassing stories while you're gone, of course," Eindride as he hugged Loki next. "It's the only time we'll get away with it." Loki smiled a little.

Emma looked at Loki for a second before hugging him tightly. "We're still family, all of us. We're not that small, we're a bit broken, but we're still good," she whispered as she hugged him."

Loki let out a little breath and smiled. "Yeah, still good." 

* * *

Tony shivered and puffed out some air when they made their way to Jotunheim. Loki had conjured some furs for him as he changed to his Jotun form. "So where exactly do we start heading?" Tony asked as he shoved his hands into the furs, trying to warm up.

"Well, I wasn't exactly sure where to land, but there's a village over this way. Perhaps they can tell us what has been happening," Loki suggested. "And I'll not tolerate any whining about the cold, this was your idea."

"My idea was to go to Asgard first," Tony mumbled as he followed. It didn't long until the found the village, a small one to be sure, set by a never freezing river. Tony looked around with interest but stuck close to Loki. As they entered the village several frost giants came out, not to greet them, but they also didn't look like they were going to kill them right away.

"If I may ask, who sits upon the throne of Jotunheim?" Loki asked the group that was starting to form. "And which direction would I travel to seek their audience."

"Depends on which side you fight for," one of the men answered, looking down on the two. Tony raised an eyebrow. "The two brothers of our former King fight for the throne." Loki groaned a little dropping his head. The jotuns looked at him.

"You are small for a Jotun," one of the elders walked closer and Loki glanced up at him. "I would call you out as nothing but a shape shifter, but the markings you bear are not one that can conjured." Tony moved a little closer to Loki, ready to run if they had to. "Are you hear to claim the throne as well?"

"No, quite the opposite," Loki informed him as the others started to murmur.

"Why?" Loki blinked at the question.

"Have my transgressions been forgotten so easily?" Loki looked around at the group that no longer seemed as unfriendly as before. "I was the one who killed your King years ago, and destroyed a prison in an effort to escape."

"Laufey was a cruel ruler," one of the women spoke up. "He sat idly and did nothing while our world died."

"It was him who had decided to invade the mortal realm," another spoke up. "It was him that subsequently lost the Casket, the heart of our land. His two sons, Bleistyr and Helbindi, bicker and fight for the throne, neither one caring for the people that suffer and live."

"What makes you think that I would be any different from them?" Loki frowned as he asked the people around him. "I am also a son of Laufey. I live on Midgard with the mortals, and have taken one as my partner."

"We have heard many stories of you, Loki," the Elder spoke again. "The realm of Jotunheim would stand behind you in a claim to the throne."

Tony's eyes were a little wide and he looked over at Loki who seemed to share in the shock. "I would not be able to stay here," Loki told them. "I have made a family on Midgard and I would not abandon them again." Tony knew that ruling a whole realm was never something he really wanted.

"If you were to take the throne, would you leave us to rot, like your father did?" The elder asked, not unkindly.

"Of course not, you are a planet of people who have been wronged, by my hands included," Loki admitted, waking for the backlash. "But I would not leave you to ruin."

"If you were to rule though, you could broker a peace between us and other realms, such as Asgard, perhaps reclaiming the Casket to bring our land back to life." The people of the village nodded. "It has long been spread that if one were to return our Casket to us we would only use it for protection. If you were the one to return it, the people would not object to you naming a liaison in your stead as you lived with your family. We merely long for the restoration of our lands, to cultivate it once again, not to wage war."

Loki felt Tony slip his hand into his and give it a squeeze. The Elder noticed this. "If you are able to trust a mortal, knowing very well the harm the Jotun can cause to others, could you not find one you trust to bring our realm back to the beauty it once was?"

"It's not that I trust him," Loki said quietly, "although I do, implicitly, it's that he trusts me not to harm him."

"With my life," Tony threw in. "We can't make any promises about the throne, we're hear to make sure that the realms don't fall under control of someone worse."

"To do that, we'll have to deal with this rebellion between the two princes," Loki muttered before looking back at the group. "Are they both at the palace?"

"Helbindi stays inside the palace, while Bleistyr makes him camp outside," one of the men told them. "They are never far from each other."

Loki let out a sigh and nodded. He rubbed Tony's hand and turned to walk off before stopping. Tony tilted his head, watching him. "If it is not possible for me to take the throne personally, then I can at least see to giving this realm back the Casket." The Elder nodded and the two started on their way again.

"You're going to give the Casket back?" Tony asked quietly when they were far enough away.

"It is partially my fault for the destruction of this land, I did try to remove it with the bifrost," Loki told him. "Although I won't put it back if Helbindi or Bleistyr sit on the throne. I think this became a little more difficult." Tony snorted.


	44. Chapter 44

**A****/N: Family Reunion?**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"I bet that that place used to look amazing," Tony said as they approached Jotunheim's palace. It looked to be made of ice and stone. "I bet when the sun shines on it-"

"When the sun shone," Loki corrected.

"Well, I bet it dropped some panties is what I was trying to say." Tony finished and pulled the furs around his face when a wind blew through. They could see tents set up around the palace, men milling about, and a large tent that was no doubt meant for Bleistyr. "So, how much do your brothers hate you?"

"I can only assume that they were the ones who gave the order to have me imprisoned," Loki said calmly as they stopped on a hill. "And also must have been the ones to think up those tortures. They were only told to detain us, to do whatever with us by Lanhr all those years ago, everything else was up to them."

"Oh, well," Tony nodded a little. "Probably a good bet that we won't be able to just walk on down there unharmed?"

"Most assuredly," Loki nodded. "But we're going to do that anyway."

"Wait, what?" Tony looked at his husband who was starting to walk down the hill. "That sounds like something that I would say, and it even sounds crazy to me. Hey! Wait up!" He practically jogged down the hill to catch up with him. They hadn't made it to the camps boundaries before warriors were marching out to meet them, spears at the ready.

"Stand down, or we will kill you," one in front ordered. Loki simply lifted his hand at the elbow in a surrender gesture.

"I simply wish to meet with Bleistyr," Loki said calmly. "You can tell him that his youngest brother calls on him." That seemed to anger the warriors as they instantly circled the two.

"Yeah, I can see how that went oh so well," Tony muttered to Loki. The warriors pressed against them from behind, spears against their backs, moving them towards the big tent.

"Well, it's getting us where we wanted to go, isn't it?" Loki glanced at Tony with a little smirk. "Remember, this was your idea."

"Yeah, before we knew that there was a family feud going on." Loki just tutted and shook his head. "I miss the days when I was all mortal."

"You wish you did."

"You're right, I do." Loki snorted at his husband.

They were pushed into the tent, stopped at the entrance, and the guards inside surrounded them from the front. Tony tried to look around the dozen guards that surrounded them, and was suddenly cursing his short height. He felt even smaller around giants.

"And who dares trespass this time into my camps? Another one of Helbindi's- Oh, I see." Tony looked up when another Jotun stepped forward, stepping between two of the guards. He was wearing a dark red loincloth that was decorated with jewels and a golden belt. This must have been Bleistyr. "And what brings the family traitor back to the lands where he is not wanted?"

"Says the one not inside the palace," Loki replied just as calmly. The guards moved their spears closer and Bleistyr held up a hand. Tony looked down at the point of an ice spear a mere two inches away from his chest.

"I do so doubt that you would risk your humans life to crack jokes," Bleistyr said, sounding impatient now.

"You're right, but you set it up, Brother." Bleistyr snarled a little at the term of endearment. "I do have a purpose, but first, before I decide where my allegiances lie, I have a question."

"You're taking sides?" The Jotun raised an eyebrow. "So you can decide who the next King you kill will be? I hear Thor is a King now, why not finish the job?"

Loki rolled his eyes. "I wish to know who gave the order to have me locked in the prison when i was captured? Who sat on the throne then?"

"Hmm, looking for revenge?" Bleistyr smirked a little and stepped closer to Loki. "As much as I would so enjoy taking that claim, it was Helbindi. Almost ingenious the tortures he designed, but I could have done better for the slayer of our father." Tony glanced at Loki, could feel the anger dancing inside of him, but knew the others wouldn't see it through his calm exterior.

"I might have thought as much," Loki nodded once. "Very well, you want the throne yes? I shall procure it for you." Bleistyr raised an eyebrow and some of the guards started to laugh.

"Forgive me if I don't exactly believe you, God of Lies." Bleistyr waved some of the guards away so he could walk further into the tent. Loki followed but the guards kept their spears on Tony, not letting him move. "What exactly would be in it for you?"

"As much as it pains me to admit, there is a plot to control the Nine Realms that I can not stop on my own. With Jotunheim in the midst of two warring monarchs it puts your realm in danger of being one of the first to fall," Loki told him. "So that means that I must stop your petty arguments, put someone, preferably you, on the throne and ask you to not kill me."

Bleistyr crossed his arms and looked at Loki. "You want my help?"

"No, I want you rule Jotunheim so that it will not become weak," Loki corrected. "I should like nothing to do with Jotunheim so long as this threat is out there, I can not do so."

"And exactly what threat is there that would dare threaten this one?" Loki fought to roll his eyes at the arrogance.

"You know of the Fae, do you not?"

"Of course, we have ice nymphs here in the forests," Bleistyr nodded. "What of them?"

"There is one of the original, the pure Fae, Gauton," Loki told him. "He has a plan, and as long as Jotunheim is in a state of turmoil it leave it at risk. Asgard and Helheim are already at risk, so I've come to stop it from happening here."

"And you would go into the palace and kill Helbindi, to put me on the throne?" Blestyr raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh. "Just for the good of Jotunheim? Because he was the one that tortured you and your friends so cruelly? I would have done worse, you know."

"I am aware of that, but call me petty," Loki sneered a little. "And I don't do it for the good of Jotunheim, I do it for the Nine Realms. I happen to like a couple of them and want to keep them as they currently are. Also, I highly doubt that you would want to bend down to a Fae as your King."

Bleistyr studied Loki for a bit then looked back at his guards. "Alright," he nodded. "I'll let you try it, but I'm going to take you at your word."

"You would be a fool if you did," Loki nodded his head a little.

"You're mate stays here." Tony's eyes widened a little.

"Wait what? Wanna run that by me again?" Tony looked between Bleistyr and Loki.

"Done."

"Say what!" Tony stood up a little straighter when Loki and Bleistyr shook on it.

"When you return with the crown to me you will get him back, and I will keep this Fae from even entering Jotunheim," Bleistyr told him. He made a motion and one of the guards wrapped some chains around Tony's wrists. He shivered and swore when he saw they were made of ice. "You have an hour. After that, if you're dead we will kill him, or if you're not the ice will take him."

Jotun nodded tightly before turning. He stopped and touched Tony's chin lightly. "It won't take an hour."

"It damn well had better not!" Tony's teeth chattered a little as the cold of the chains seeped into him. "I'm not losing any more limbs or eyesight to this ice bullshit, you hear me?" Loki smirked a little and left the tent, green magic flashing briefly behind him. "God damned smug son of a bitch."


	45. Chapter 45

**A****/N: Family Reunion?**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Loki had appeared on a balcony of the palace and slipped inside of a window. He looked around and saw that he had walked into a library. It looked frosted over, possibly dusty, and generally not used. It was no wonder the people of Jotunheim weren't happy, their rulers were uncultured, unknowledgeable rulers. Now he just needed to find Helbindi.

He pushed against the store, wincing when it scraped against the ground and slipped out, quickly moving down the halls, staying against the walls. Laufey had chosen not to reside in the palace the few times he had been here, so Loki had no knowledge of this place. As he passed by a window he paused and looked out, seeing a temple in the background that looked to still be in ruins from the war. The war that he had been born into, and taken from as a prize of war. He shivered a little and started moving again.

He figured that Helbindi would be about as dimwitted as Bleistyr and would be int he throne room, exerting his rule in the most annoying way possible. Before Loki stepped of the stairs he took a few deep breaths to seem out of breath and used his magic to make himself stumble down the hall towards the guards posted at the door.

They reacted immediately, spears forming on their arms pointed at Loki. "You'd keep me alive if you wish to keep your King alive," he panted and looked at them. "I've just escaped from Bleistyr and have heard of an assassination attempt." The two guards glanced at each other then moved forward and grabbed Loki's arms, lifting him up a little, and walked into the throne room.

He saw Helbindi sitting on the throne, looking the most like Laufey, wearing a dark blue loincloth adorned in gold, a golden crown on his head, chains looped around neck, and golden armlets wrapped around his biceps. Loki bit back his groan at the tacky show of power. He looked more gold than blue that his skin was.

"The prodigal son returns," Helbindi sat up in the throne as they pushed Loki up to him. "I'm sorry, but i believe that the remains of our father are scattered back in Asgard. You would know better than us, of course."

"Well, think of this as penance. I'm here to help save your life." Helbindi raised an eyebrow and motioned to the guards to let him go. "I've come from Bleistyr's camp, and I've heard of an attempt to end this one and for all."

"And why should I believe that you're here to save my life?" Helbindi leaned back in the throne. Loki wondered how he was related to these two.

"Because if you die then so does my mate, that he has taken captive." Loki pulled himself to stand up straighter. "Also, I would rather you stay on the throne to save Jotunheim and the rest of the nine realms. You are already on the throne, and keeping you here will keep Jotunheim strong and unable to be taken over."

"And who is the formidable foe that would supposed take over my land?" Helbindi looked at him, looking uninterested.

"One of the first pure Fae, that has by now most likely made his way to Muspelheim. I do not think that you want Fire Giants here in the middle of an argument with your brother," Loki said matter of factly. "My only concern is killing this Fae, and getting my Mate back from Bleistyr. It's easier if he's dead as well."

"And how would you propose that happens?"

"Well, I've just escaped from his camps, no doubt that you could take the knowledge I have gleamed from that and put it to use," Loki suggested. For once in his life he was glad that Odin had taken him away from this. This would have been his future. He might even hug Thor and Balder after this.

"I would of course be-" he stopped when the ground shook a little. Loki's eyes widened a little and he looked around. He swore in another language and ran over to one of the windows in the room. He was thrown back when something exploded by the window, sending rock and ice in with the shockwave. He rolled quickly and yelled, pushing smoking debris off of him, debris that had been on fire.

"And was this part of the plan!" Helbindi shouted as he moved from his throne quickly, he grabbed Loki's arm and hauled him up.

"No, this is the fae I talked about, you fool!" Loki pulled his arm from Helbindi's grip as more guards ran into the throne room. he looked out the window again and saw that there were two attacking forces. All Fire Giants, one group attacking the palace, the other attacking the camps. The camps were Tony was. "If you want to keep Jotunheim then you will kill them all!" He shot a glare towards Helbindi. "You will not attack any of Bleistyr's forces until all of the demons are killed!" Loki took off running from the room before he could get an answer. 

* * *

Tony was crouched on his knees as he shook from the cold of the chains. He was going make Loki sit in a heated room for a day after this. Give him a perpetually summer day and watch him squirm. he jumped when his head was suddenly jerked up and Bleistyr was looking into his eyes. "You're eye is an interesting shade of blue. What happened to it?"

"An unfortunate run in with a Frost Giant," Tony told him, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. "Turns out the nasty frostbite you guys give can't be healed once it hits an eye. They're pretty sensitive."

"I've never known anyone to survive an encounter so close to the mind," Bleistyr said with a smirk, and Tony could really see the similarity to Laufey now. "Perhaps if Loki isn't back soon we can experiment with the other side."

"Oh my lucky day," Tony murmured under his breath. He was jerked on his feet when something loud landed outside. "What the hell?"

A couple of guards ran in suddenly. "Fire demons my lord!" Tony's eyes widened.

"Ready the troops, into formation!" Bleistyr shouted as he moved to get his armor. "They dare to step into Jotunheim? To attack my land? We will show them the might of our warriors!" The guards helped him put his armor on and they moved to leave the tent.

"You're just going to leave me here?" Tony pushed himself up before they left. "If I die you can be sure that Loki will kill you too."

"If he isn't already dead," one of the warriors sneered. "They attacking the palace as well." They left and Tony swallowed.

"Alright Stark, time to get out of these chains. Because where there are Fire demons then Fae aren't far behind." He looked around the tent for anything to help with the chains. He knew they were ice, but this was Jotun ice, and it was already making his wrists numb. For someone who called himself a King the tent was rather barren. Tony growled and ran outside the tent, hoping maybe there was a weapon sitting somewhere that would help.

He turned the corner of the tent and stopped stock still, eyes wide. Gauton and Lanhr were walking towards him, smiling. They knew exactly where they had been headed. "Shit, shit, Shit!" He turned and started running the opposite way, towards the palace. He stumbled across the ground as debris went flying his way from a fireball. He was eerily reminded of running from the Humvee in Afghanistan.

He swore he saw green magic coming from the palace and tried to run faster. Something constricted in his chest suddenly and he gasped, falling to his side. "Where were you headed, Pet?" He closed his eyes briefly when he heard Gauton's voice. He was suddenly grabbed by the collar of the furs and hefted to his feet. "These chains are all wrong."

Lanhr touched the chains and they fell off his wrists. "How are you feeling? Tony glared at the Fae. "Was the change more painful this time? I see that it worked, though." He ran his fingers up Tony's arm and he felt it tingle in response. "I can feel the powers practically dance under your skin."

"I'm happy to hear this," Gauton nodded smiling. He looked at Tony and his eyes glinted. Tony shivered a little at the look when he turned it to Lanhr. "You've served me well so far, Lanhr, now I need you to do one more thing for me while we're here."

Lanhr bowed a little. "Of course, anything now that we are so close to our goal."

"Oh, that doessn't-" Tony's eyes widened when his mouth suddenly stopped moving.

"It's not polite to talk over your Master," Gauton said. He turned towards Lanhr and Tony saw his hands start to glow. "I just need a little more power before I can take the essence of this Realm. Oblige me, please." He wrapped one hand around Lanhr's neck, the other palm down on his chest. The changeling started to let out a high keening cry and Tony's eyes widened, hands flying up to cover his ears.

He had to look away when a bright energy of magenta and brown exploded from in front of him. When Tony looked back Lanhr was gone and Gauton was flexing his fingers, magenta power swirling around his arms. His hands and eyes started to glow muddy red. Tony suddenly gasped and fell to his knees when he felt a burning throughout his body.

Gauton leaned down in front of his and lifted his head up. "Now, you're all mine," he grinned as he squeezed Tony's chin. His fingers glowed and when he pulled away there was a chain in his hand that trailed down and let to the collar that had appeared around Tony's neck. He yanked on it and Tony was pulled close to Gauton, landing on his chest. When he pulled up Tony was forced to his knees, coughing as the collar bit into his throat.

Tony looked as something hit the ground in front of them and he saw Bleistyr's head roll across the ground. Another Fire Giant walked over to them and another head was dropped next to it. Tony could only assume that it was Helbindi.

"Where is my traitorous little, Pet," Gauton said as he kicked the heads away. "I can not take this realm without him in my grasp as well."

Tony saw a quick flash of green from the corner of his eyes and saw Loki's leather boot from behind a tent. "If he's smart then he's going to restore the Casket and claim the throne as his own." He gagged when Gauton pulled on the collar again. "You can't claim the power of this realm unless he claims while under your control, can you?"

Tony was pulled to his feet, Gauton's face dangerously close to his. "If he's smart, he wouldn't leave you in my grasp for very long."

"You kill me and you lose all hope of taking over the other realms, especially Midgard." tony smirked a little when the Fae didn't reply. "Without him I'm all you've got, and you're not even sure that you can use me." the Fae started to laugh this time and Tony didn't like it, not one bit.

"Oh, I can use you, you can count on that. It's you that should be worried about whether or not you'll live through it." Gauton looked at him, glancing to his neck. "Although, I would like to keep you around, you look good chained up."

The ground shook slightly and the sky started to get brighter. They all looked over to the ruined temple and saw a light shooting up into the sky. Tony let out a breath, shoulders relaxing a little. He would probably get an earful later, but Loki had listened to him. The Casket was back in it's place, Loki had claimed his blood right to the throne of Jotunheim. Gauton wouldn't be able to take it.

Tony's body tensed then and he grit his teeth as something flamed up in his chest just behind the arc reactor. "I hope it was worth it, because you'll be taking his punishment," Gauton hissed in his ear. "You are Mine, Midgardian. There is no getting my power out of you, and I won't be making the same mistakes as I did with Loki." He turned to look at the Fire Giants. "Gather the rest of your forces, we prepare the attack on Alfheim."

Tony's knuckles turned white he tried to gain some control of his body. His foot started to move slowly. He hoped he could give Loki a clue before it was too late. He was jerked against Gauton and felt the power move inside of him. "We have a party to attend, and you look horrid." Gauton smirked and Tony looked up towards the temple one last time before they disappeared.


	46. Chapter 46

**A****/N: Family Reunion?**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Loki stared at the Casket as it glowed. He could feels it's energy running through the ground, slowly starting to repair a lifetime of damage. There were so many things he needed to do in Jotunheim alone now, but he need to help the other realms, and get Tony back.

He hurried down the steps and back to the camp, seeing wounded and dead Jotuns, other helping, and ignored them all, even as some bowed to him. Loki found where Tony and Gauton had been and frowned as he looked down. He saw plenty of foot prints but something else. Letters. Tony had spelled something out in the snow and the dirt. FREY. They were headed to Alfheim.

Loki started to run, using his powers to get him closer, little by little, to the village they had arrived in. He could see the Elder standing outside, waiting, as if he knew he would be coming. He bowed at the waist slightly when he saw Loki coming.

"Yes, I had the Casket, yes I restored, yes I've claimed the throne," Loki spoke fast. "I'm claiming that this village act in my stead until I return to do things properly. I must stop someone from killing my Husband, and claiming power over the Nine realms." He stopped for a second. "Hopefully in that order."

"Your commands are law now, my King." The elder said with a slight smirk. He gestured back to the village and saw that green and gold banners were draping over the doors to the houses. "They will not question us until your return. We wish you luck." Loki took a breath and nodded.

Loki ran out to a clear spot of land and took a breath as he lifted a spell from himself. "Heimdall! I need your help urgently! It's to save Tony!" He didn't have to wait long until he felt the bifrost open around him and take him back up to Asgard. He landed and was running before he had his balance, Heimdall having to grab his arms before he sprawled onto the ground.

"I have to see Thor, quickly," Loki said before Heimdall could say anything. "Gauton is back, and he has Tony, and they're headed to Alfheim-"

"Your brothers and parents are already in Alfheim," Heimdall told him as he stood up on his feet again. "They are there for the coronation of Frey and Gerd's son Njord." Loki's eyes widened. "Loki, what is happening?"

"Gauton will attack at the coronation, and he'll use Tony to capture the essence of Alfheim to control it. He already has essence of Muspelheim for he controls the Fire Giants." Heimdall's gaze darkened at the news. "I was only very nearly able to stop from commanding Jotunheim."

"Quickly, you must go to Alfheim," Heimdall moved towards his sword. "I will gather Asgard's army as fast as possible." Loki nodded as the bifrost started to move again. "Loki," the younger god looked back at him. "It is good to have you back. All the anger will dissipate soon." Loki nodded gratefully as he traveled to his Uncle's Realm. 

* * *

_Loki knocked quietly but urgently on the door. It opened a large man with a thick beard and long black hair opened it, looking like he had just woken up. He raised an eyebrow at the woman standing in the doorway, a one year old in her arm and his twin holding onto to her other hand._

_"Fenris, I need your help." The man frowned at the voice. "It's Loki you daft fool."_

_"Lo-" she shushed him quickly and leaned down to pick up the other boy and head inside, pushing the door closed with her foot. "But I thought you dead, everyone does."_

_"And that's the way it should be. Do you have an extra bed perhaps?" When he looked he could see that the children looked tired, leaned heavily in Loki's arms._

_"Of course, this way," he walked ahead and opened a door to an empty room. He watched Loki walk in and lay the children down, kissing their heads and pulling the blanket over them. "should we not at least tell the King about your return?"_

_"No, especially not him," Loki said as she shut the door halfway and headed for the living room. "No one must know that I was here, Fenris, no one."_

_"Can you at least tell me what is going on?" Fenris asked his friend._

_"We have been on many adventures, have me not?" She looked at the man, and he nodded. "Too many to count I would think. I need you to trust me, and to keep my secret. Those are my sons, and I work to keep them safe from someone who would want nothing more than to see them, and the rest of my family, dead. All I need from you is somewhere for them to stay for the night."_

_"And what about you?" Fenris frowned._

_"I will take this time to scout the land, search for another place that we will be able to stay until i am able to move us to another realm." Loki told him as she went into the kitchen. She grabbed a block of cheese and several apples._

_"Stay here, you look like you haven't slept in a fortnight at least," Fenris took her hand to stop her. "I live here alone and none come to bother me, they know they can just find me at the blacksmith's shop during the day." Loki glanced at him. "As you said, we have been through too many adventures to count, this is the least that I can do to help out."_

_Loki let out a breath and sagged in relief a little. "Thank you, I will never be able to repay your kindness."_

* * *

The bifrost dropped inside of the palace ground, by the fountains in the main courtyard. There was no one around and he prayed he wasn't too late. Loki took off running into the palace and down the halls. He could hear clapping and someone talking. They were just starting. He had mere moments.

He skidded to a stop when he saw a couple of guards standing in front of the doors to the main hall. One of them was Fenris. He smiled. "Fenris! I need your help!"

"Loki," he approached the man. "Last time you said that you showed up as a woman and with two children."

"There are no children, but my mission is still the same."

"I saw your partner just a few moments ago, he went in with the rest of the guests from Asgard," Fenris motioned to the doors.

"You must let me in there, please," Loki started to plead. "That was not truly my husband, he is being controlled-"

"By Gauton, I know." Fenris nodded and Loki took a step back as dread filled his stomach. He saw his eyes flash a dark red then gasped when something hit the base of his neck, dropping him to ground and losing consciousness.


	47. Chapter 47

**A****/N: Family Reunion?**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Loki groaned when he felt something pushed against his side. He was pushed onto his back and he frowned then opened his eyes. He saw Gauton standing over him and he tensed. He let his magic was over him and rolled around letting a clone stay in his place. When Gauton reached down to grab him the clone disappeared and Loki was half way across the room.

"You move so quickly, your Majesty." Gauton didn't seem the least bit distressed. Loki was able to look around a little and saw that he was in the main hall of the palace. He had been too late. "You know, it's not too late to change your mind. If you join me now of your own will, I will give you your Pet back, and even share in this power." He motioned over to the side and saw Tony standing there, eyes glowing the same dark red as Gauton's new powers.

All of the guests had been back away, except for Thor, Balder and Frigga. They were standing behind Tony, trapped inside of a circle of runes. Across from them he saw Frey, Gerd and their son Njord trapped in another circle. The crown of Alfheim lay on the ground. Loki frowned when he didn't see Odin.

"From one King," Gauton motioned to himself, then over to Loki, "to another, I would think that I'm offering a very generous gift."

"Is that what Lanhr thought before you killed him and took his powers?" Loki shot back, trying to keep the growl out of his voice.

"It's what you would have thought when I had you in my grasp," he smirked. "How many of them here know of what you are? Just your dear brothers?" Gauton started to move and Loki moved opposite, keeping them in a circle away from each other. "Do they know that you were mine for so many years, that I changed you forever? That I made you better?"

"Your voice whispered in my ears for years!" Loki hissed at him. "You tried to mold me into you, you tried to use me to find your way into Asgard when I was a child."

"You were the one stupid enough to stumble into my lands, alone," Gauton shot back. "Oh, and you were a very special one. A jotun who was ignorant of his heritage, and a Jotun with power none the less! Oh that is a rare sight indeed." He laughed and grinned. Loki was getting closer to Tony. He wondered if perhaps he would be able to break the hold Gauton had on him, just long enough.

"But there are no worries, for I found your pet that you tried to hide from me, and, oh, it was oh so sweet to see that you had imprinted on him," Gauton grinned. "Do you know what that meant for me?" He stopped moving, and Loki stopped as well, watching him. "It was just that much easier for my magic to take hold inside of him. Do you know what he said it felt like?"

"I know that he wouldn't have told you anything," Loki shot back quickly.

"Under normal circumstances, I think you would be right," Gauton nodded. "But when I reminded him of what other tortures he endured," he motioned towards Loki and he turned quickly when Tony gasped, falling to his knees, holding his head. "Well, let's say he sang like a little bird."

"No, no no no," Tony started to murmur as he shook his head. Loki quickly ran over and took Tony's hands when he had started to grip his head tightly.

"Tony, it's alright, I'm here," he whispered to the man. "I'm here, it's not real, I promise." He ran his hand through Tony's hair then stopped when one of his hands suddenly snapped to his wrist. Tony's head looked up and he saw the power gleaming in his eyes again.

"He said if felt like someone was stitching him together, very slowly, with a very large needle, again. Had I know that Hela had already tried that trick before, I might have made him feel something else." Tony stood up, pulling Loki to his feet, hands around Loki's wrists tightly in a strength aided by his Asgardian gift and the Fae power inside. "Did you honestly think that I could let you stay unbound after you turned my offer down?" Tony had turned Loki to face Gauton who was walking closer.

A soft wind had started to blow around the three of them and Gauton smirked. "It was all in vain, little King, coming here." His hands started to take on a golden glow. Alfheim needed a ruler and Gauton had timed it perfectly, it was going to give its power to him.

Loki's fingers twitched in one hand and he sent a shock to Tony's arm and the man released his wrist. Loki immediately swung it up and out, his elbow catching Gauton and kicked his chest to send him to the floor. Turning in a circle in the same motion he twisted his other arm to wrench it free of Tony's other fist shoved him back with his forearm, causing him to slide back and nudge the circle of runes around his family.

The circle broke but Loki was pulled back by arm arm wrapping around his neck and pulling him back. Loki moved low, throwing his elbow in Gauton's stomach this time but it didn't remove his arm. He suddenly pitched forward and threw Gauton over his shoulder and punched down on his chest. Someone grabbed his jacket from behind pulling him up and away and had to duck when he saw Tony's elbow flying for his face. While it was true that Tony preferred his suit when fighting, he wasn't bad at hand to hand combat, specially since he had trained with both Loki and Clint.

Loki blocked Tony with his forearm and Tony suddenly hissed, pulling his hand back. Loki realized he was still in his Jotun form, and instincts were telling him to freeze the enemy. Loki took a breath and spun in a wide arc away from Tony, bringing back his glamour to his usual pale skin. He wouldn't risk hurting Tony that way. As he spun he saw that Frigga had escaped the circle before Tony must have rebound it, keeping Thor and Balder trapped.

Loki's eyes widened Tony was suddenly in front him, this time holding a sword. He hadn't plan on that. Loki's feet moved in the defensive as he moved his body around, moving back, to avoid the sharp blade. Tony flipped the blade swiped the side of Loki's head with the hilt, throwing in back onto the steps of the throne. He gasped as his head hit the edge of the steps and white flashed in his eyes.

Loki blinked his eyes quickly and tried pushing himself up, but found that his head protested too much to let him back to his feet. He looked over to see that Frigga and Gauton had swords of their own, and he knew her prowess with a blade. Odin had not married just a woman for his Queen, she was strong, especially when her children were threatened. What he hadn't expected was that Tony had walked over to join the battle.

"Loki!" He shook his head at Balder's voice to clear his mind and pushed himself to shaky feet. He had to release Thor and Balder, then help Frigga and Tony. He only stumbled a couple of time, falling to his knees when he reached the runes and pushed them with his palm, breaking the circle. Balder grabbed his arms and hefted him up to his feet.

"There will be much taking later," Balder promised him and he nodded. Thor had run over to free Frey so that they could possibly stop Gauton from getting the power of Alfheim. Loki honestly wasn't sure if it was too late to stop it. "Can you fight? We have to help Mother."

"I'm fine now, you can let me go," Loki told him. Balder let go and he didn't stumble this time. They looked over at Frigga had turned, swiping behind her to push Gauton back but keeping her eyes on the blade in Tony's hands. Tony was still clumsy with a weapon, even Gauton's control could not change that, but he was all the distraction needed. She brought her blade up to block Tony and he pressed down before she could quickly move again, and Gauton took his chance, sliding his blade through her back.

"No!" Several shouts went up but Loki was already moving before it happened. He had seen it coming, it was the exact same thing that the Fae had done to him. Loki pressed a glowing hand to Tony's neck, his legs ceasing to function and dropping him to the ground. His arm wrapped around Frigga's waist as the other grabbed Gauton's collar and he slammed his face into his knee before letting go, the blade still in his hand and pulling free from Frigga.

Loki wrapped his other around Frigga's waist, slowly lowering her as her knees gave out. "My precious boy," she put a hand to his cheek and smiled softly at him. "I had hoped that his never failing love would find a way to bring you back."

"Yes, I'm back now Mother, so you need to stay," Loki's eyes welled with tears as he held her. "I've been gone for a long time, and someone needs to chastise me." She just smiled at him. Loki's head shot up when a hand touched his knee. He looked to see with wide eyes, his eyes, looking at him.

"Don't stay too mad at him, Anthony," she said as she leaned back in Loki's arms. "You've both been through too much to let this divide you for too long."

"Just wait until some Healer's come," Loki started to plead. Thor and Balder had hurried over, kneeling down next to them. "You have to meet your two grandsons, they're twins." She smiled softly. "Tomas and Sander, they're five now and they look exactly like Tony. They're going to cause so much trouble."

She pat his cheek a little. "You know, you were always my son, no matter what. I'm proud to have seen the family you created, and how happy you've become. Watch out for your brothers," she looked over at Thor and Balder. "All of you watch out for each other."

Loki's hands shook as he let Thor take her, lying her down on the ground, and he pushed himself back slowly. He didn't hear his brothers exchanging their last words with their mother. Tony had pulled himself over to Loki and wrapped his arms around Loki tightly. Loki held onto him, pressing his face into his shoulder.

Loki looked up when there was a hand on his shoulder and saw Frey to the side of him. He pressed a couple fingers to Tony's neck again, letting him use his legs and they both stood up. They both looked around but didn't see Gauton. "He's gotten away," Frey said to him. "He's taken most of Alfheim's power, but I still retain some of it. He'll go to Asgard next, with Odin and Frigga both gone-"

"What?" Loki frowned at his words.

"He wasn't here yet," Thor said from behind him. "Gauton killed Father first, taking his power."

"He used Tony as a distraction first," Balder said. Loki felt Tony's hands tighten into fists. "Did he get the power of Jotunheim?"

Loki swallowed, a little dazed, but shook his head. "No, I stopped him. I returned the Casket to them and had to claim the throne to keep Gauton from doing it." He ignored the couple of shocked looks his way and put his hands on Tony's face, pushing his head around when Tony wouldn't meet his gaze. "This wasn't your fault."

"How could it not be?" He asked quietly. "I let him use me, control me, and now..."

"Tony, it took me centuries to fight him off, and even then I had to kill him to be free of his grasp." Loki rubbed his neck a little with his thumbs. "You mustn't do this to yourself, you'd be telling me the same thing right now." Tony nodded a little and Loki leaned his forehead against Tony's.

"We'll go back to Asgard," Thor said after a moment. "Balder and I will ready the armies, set up the defenses."

"He'll have with him Fire Giants, Fae, and possibly Dwarves. I'm not sure if he made it to their realm yet," the two brothers nodded at Loki words. "We'll follow as soon as we can."

"You should leave me here," Tony told him. "Like last time, in those chains that kept me from Lanhr's power." Loki rubbed his cheek a little.

"Those won't work again, not like that," he told him. "His influence is complete over you, it would only hurt you, and to no purpose."

"Alright, then you become my Master." Loki's eyes widened a little. "I'm serious. Gauton's power may have changed, but the base of it is still the same, and it's that power that runs through you, right?" Loki nodded a little. "So then, by deduction, it should be at least eighty percent possible for you to take over possession."

"You speak as if you are property to be traded," they heard Gerd speak from behind, but neither turned to look at her.

"Right now he is," Loki said, still looking at Tony. "He has been taken by a Fae, and there is no removing the influence anymore. He is a Pet to serve a Master, and the only way to escape control is to kill the Master."

"And Gauton is too strong to let us do that before he turns me against you again," Tony confirmed. "We don't have a lot of time, Loki. You have to do this, because if he gets control back over me, then he won't let me stop until one of either you or me is dead. And I have a promise to keep."

Loki grit his teeth a little. "It's going to hurt." Tony nodded. "You're going to want to fight me."

"Nothing we haven't done before."

Loki kissed him quickly. "Frey, Gerd, I'll need you to hold his arms for me, he can't move away from me." He kept his eyes on Tony's but saw the two take his arms, holding him securely. He let his fingers slide up onto Tony's temples. "I'll try to do this as quickly as possibly." Tony took a deep breath and nodded.

"I trust you." Loki let out a breath and closed his eyes, hands glowing. He slipped into Tony's mind saw the mess of power that was Gauton, saw just strong his hold actually was on Tony. Briefly Loki wondered if this was what he had looked like before he separated the Fae from his natural power.

He let his green magic attached to the first point of contact between Gauton's red and Tony's natural gold. He felt the shift as Tony reacted physically. Loki hadn't been lying when he said it was going to hurt. Gauton's magic was like a web, a blanket made up of points connecting the two energies, and he need to overpower, if not detach, those strings of power with his own. If Loki could find a central point he would be able to do it much quicker. Each string he tried to take over would feel like someone was ripping Tony apart, little by little.

Loki pooled more magic into Tony, hoping that he could just follow the tangled web, he didn't want to have to do it point by point. Loki wasn't sure what condition Tony's mind would be in when he was done if he was forced to do it that way. He watched as the web slowly started to turn green. He needed to find the central point of contact, that would be the hardest one.

Loki felt the push against his magic, finding the center. He let his magic surrounded the point before he suddenly flooded it, fighting for control. It was strong, Gauton had hundreds of strings connecting to it. If this had been anyone but Loki it would have ripped Tony's mind and he would have been left irreversibly damaged. He could feel the powered losing it's grip and Loki struggled to stay on it. He would need to attach immediately for this to work. Tony's powers were too far corrupted and pushed back for him to take back control, and Loki would be damned if he was going to lose Tony again.

One last push for the center and he felt something. His eyes shot open as he gasped and fell back to the floor. He was panting heavily, arms shaking a little. When he rolled over he could see Tony in Frey and Gerd's arms, letting out little whines of pain as he panted as well. Loki pulled himself over and took Tony from their arms.

"You're fine now," Loki said quietly. He looked into Tony's eyes and could see soft swirls of green in his iris. "You're fine, I've got you, wholly and completely." He could feel the tremors in Tony's body as he nodded, dropping his head against Loki. "No one will take you from me again."


	48. Chapter 48

**A****/N: Family Reunion?**  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"This should have weakened him, right?" Tony asked, his arm around Loki's shoulders as he helped him walk. "Cause it sure as fuck took it's toll on me."

Loki kissed the side of his head. They were making their way to one of Loki's hidden paths. They would need to make a stealthy approach to Asgard in case Gauton was already there. "Yes, this would be a considerable dent into his plans. He would have started to siphon the power to you, to act as his power container if you will. Too much power at once and it would burn him out."

"So can't we just let do that now?" Tony asked. "Overload his circuits and let him fry?"

"He'll have no doubt found some other way to avoid that," Loki told him. "That's too big of a risk for him to take, when he's so close to his goal. We're going to need all the power we can get to take him down now." Tony stopped Loki for a second and he frowned. "What's wrong? We should-" Tony suddenly kissed him and rubbed his neck.

"Alright, we can continue now," Tony said and pulled Loki along. "I think that perhaps we should make a pit stop in Helheim first. Gauton obviously must have been able to stop Heimdall from sending Asgard's army, so there'll be no way he'll let Anya and Kasir travel that way."

Loki nodded a little. "You're right, it would be easier to bring them ourselves. He is still of the realm of the dead, and they would have the most power over him. 

* * *

Tony and Loki were expecting to have both Anya and Kasir ready to go, ready to bring Gauton back to the deepest darkest prison in Helheim. What they were not expecting was a heavily pregnant Anya.

"When did this happen?" Tony blinked, eyes a little wide.

"Obviously, almost nine months ago," Anya told him.

"You completely have not told your parents yet," Tony accused and they both shook their heads. "Oh sweet christ, Heimdall doesn't know either. Yeah, this is gonna go over well."

"We've been a bit busy down here," Kasir said. "Hela has been giving us trouble for a while now, and it's only just gotten worse. We literally have not been able to get away."

"Well, I don't think you have much choice now," Loki told them. "She needs to go to Midgard immediately."

"What? Why?" Anya frowned.

"Why?" Tony looked at her. "Because you look about ready to give birth at any moment, and shit is about to go down. We need Kasir to help us stop Gauton and you are crazy if you think we're going to put an unborn child in harms way."

"You found Gauton?" Kasir looked between them.

"Oh, we found him, and we'll fill you in later, but really, time is of the essence," Tony snapped his fingers. "Kasir, you're with us. Anya, up up to Midgard to face your parents."

"I suddenly think I'd rather stay here." Both Tony and Loki gave their best parenting looks and she backed up a little. "Right, up I go." She hurried over and hugged Loki. "Just wanted to say it's good to see you, not in our realm." Loki smiled a little and rubbed her back. "Alright," she kissed Kasir, "up to no doubt face the firing squad."

They watched as she left and the two looked at Kasir. "What? We honestly haven't had the time." He started to walk with Loki and Tony. "It's been hard since someone has been blocking my sight to try and find Gauton and Lanhr."

"Lanhr's dead. Dead, dead." Tony told him. "I supposed absorbed is the right term. I watched it." Loki frowned a little as he worked a spell to open the path back to Asgard.

"Oh, well then," Kasir nodded a little as they stepped through the portal.

Loki managed to land them inside the bifrost and couldn't help the smirk on his face. Tony snorted and jabbed his side. Heimdall raised an eyebrow and Kasir threw a glare Loki's way. "I don't know if I can Heimdall with small children around him," Loki commented to Tony.

"I managed to put up with both you and your brother when you were small," Heimdall told him. he looked at Loki and put a hand to his chest, bowing his head a little. Loki blinked then his face soften and he nodded back to him. "After this is over, all of the realms shall mourn," he said quietly so only Tony and Loki could hear. Loki nodded gratefully. "Now, what is this sudden talk of small children?"

"Actually, Anya is pregnant," Kasir told his father he straightened a little, catching his attention.

"This is marvelous news. When did you find out?" Tony snorted and put a hand over his mouth and Loki merely grinned. "She hasn't already had the child has she?"

"No, not as of yet," Kasir shook his head. "We've been busy and haven't been able to tell anyone yet, we also haven't told anyone that it could be any day."

"We shall give you two some privacy," Loki bowed a little and grabbed Tony's arm. "Kasir, we'll wait for you up at the palace. Heimdall, my congratulations, also, try not to hurt him, we need him."

"No promises, my prince." Loki smiled and looped arms with Tony.

"It's nice to have a few minutes of forgetting what is happening around us," Tony said and Loki nodded. "A small escape from reality is most welcome." Loki rubbed his arm a little and the two just enjoyed the walk up to the palace.

As soon as they were inside they saw the army and Thor and Balder waiting. Whatever happened on Asgard, Loki was determined that it would all end on Asgard. He could feel Tony beside, not in the same way as their bond used to be, but it made him feel more relaxed. Loki just hoped that the armies of Asgard, the King of Helheim, the King and a Prince of Asgard, the King of Jotnheim, and a newly created Fae would be enough to combat against Gauton and the power that he had 

* * *

Lee had pushed Clint into the kitchen to help her start dinner for everyone and he was currently standing in the middle of the room, looking a little confused. "Clint, it's not actually that hard." She was chopping some vegetables at the cupboard.

"Well, it's not like I actually spend enough time in this kitchen to know where everything is," he said as he looked around.

"You Could ask JARVIS," she suggested. "As I suspect that he's been recording you for Tony's personal files."

"I would be remiss if I did not mention that Master Stark had upgraded me with a slight humour chip," the AI spoke up. "I have found the situation rather amusing myself."

"Oh gods, it's becoming sentient," Clint groaned a little. "We're all doomed. JARVIS is going to lead the rebellion. I would like it to go on the record that I have always been on your side, J." Lee sighed and shook her head. "Just remember that we live together."

"And remember who cooks your meals, bird boy," she jabbed the knife towards him and he put his arms up in surrender. "One day I'm going to make you start cooking, and then take a week long vacation."

"You'd make me starve?" He gave her big puppy eyes and moved closer to her.

"You're a big boy now," she grinned and tapped his chin with the flat of the knife. He leaned in and stole a kiss when she pulled the knife away. "Cheap shot, no points." She laughed when he pouted. Someone had reached over Clint's shoulder to grab a piece of the cucumber that Lee had been cutting. Clint jumped and turned, eyes wide. "Holy pregnant woman!" Lee smacked his shoulder a little.

"Yes I'm very pregnant," Anya said as she munched on the food. "Surprised that you aren't yet," she smirked a little.

"Ah, no bird for this nest yet," Lee went back to the food. "What brings you up here? I thought everything was happening someplace else?"

"It is, but the boys won't let me there because of this," she motioned to her stomach. "I guess it's going to get big, or something. "So are my parents here? I should tell them about this, since I'm up here."

"You gunn dieh," Clint muttered and Lee rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, they're out on the couch, I think relaxing after finally getting the three little kids down for a nap."

"Three?" Anya raised an eyebrow.

"Well, when Loki came back, he brought a set of twins with him," Clint said, leaning against Lee's side. "Don't worry, they're his and Loki's, but twins no less."

"This should go well then," Anya nodded a little. "They'll be too tired to really yell at me for not telling them."

"Dude, your dad is Captain America, I've seen him fight for hours on end." Clint pointed at her.

"And I've seen my Dad fall alseep on the couch after fourty five minutes of playing with Bry as a toddler," she gave him a smug 'I told you so' smile. "Supervillains just don't measure up to kids."

Clint looked at Lee as Anya walked off to the living room. "Do you think that's true?" Lee nodded. "So, why haven't we been putting villains to work as daycare workers instead of prison?"

"Because there are so many things wrong with that on so many levels, Clint!" She said and smacked his hand away. "Now, find me that wok."

"I don't even know what that is!"

Anya saw the back of Steve's head resting on top of Gabby's on the couch and she smiled a little. She liked that her parents still had a strong relationship, no matter what crazy stuff was happening around them. "Whoa!" They all turned to look at Bry in the chair who was pointing at Anya. "You totally got fat!"

"Are you kidding me right now?" Anya gave her a look and she just grinned. Steve and Gabby turned and their eyes widened a little. "Hi," she waved a little and gave them what she hoped was an apologetic smile. "So I see that Uncle Loki's back."

"Hot damn!" They turned when Chris and Eindride walked into the room. "You look a little bit pregnant, sis."

"Accute observation," she mumbled a little, one hand rubbing her stomach. She turned to see Steve and Gabby had gotten up. Steve took her hands and held them out a little as his eyes went straight to her stomach. "I'm really very big, now."

"You almost look ready to give birth now," Gabby commented. "Is this why we haven't seen you in a while?"

"Well, not really," she shook her head. "Things were getting crazy in Hel, and I guess that was all leading up to now, huh?" She shrugged a little. "But um, surprise? You're going to be grandparents?"

"And you're going to be an older sister again," Gabby told her and chuckled.

"And we're still single," Chris announced. Eidride coughed a little and the younger man turned to look at him. "What?! You've betrayed our pact of bachelorhood?" Chris gasped dramatically. Steve rolled his eyes up and bit back a sigh of exasperation.

"Oh, he's definitely related to you by blood, Dad," Anya told him. "There is no getting away with that."

"He gets it from your mother. Hey!" He rubbed his arm a little from where Gabby smacked him.

"Oh like that hurt," she snorted a little. "So grandparents, hmm?" She smiled and Anya chuckled. "When are you due?"

"From what I can tell, any day now," she shrugged a little. "I haven't had time to actually see a doctor or a healer, so we've been kind of winging it?" Steve and Gabby looked at her with blank looks for a second. "Women used to do it all the time, you know. I felt nothing strange, nothing that felt out of the ordinary, no pain that wasn't to be expected from being pregnant. I ate very well and got plenty of sleep." She looked at Steve. "Kasir was the picture of patience and handled what I couldn't in Hel. He's very excited to be a father. I just hope he doesn't have to miss it."

"If he's anything like your father, he run in, covered in whatever his work was, at the last minute," Gabby smiled at Steve. "And then he'll never let the baby leave his arms."

"I was a first time father and I was very nervous," Steve said.

"Steve, you did that when Andrew was born as well." Anya snorted a little and smiled.

She took a breath and put her hand on her stomach and Gabby raised an eyebrow. "It's okay, the baby's been kicking the past couple of hours, harder than usual this time." Gabby walked over and put her hand on Anya's stomach, letting it trail down a little.

"Sweetheart, that's labor." Anya's eyes widened a little. "You've been in labor for the past couple of hours."

"Oh. Oh!" She looked around a little and Steve took her arm.

"We're gonna get you to the hospital now," he said calmly as they headed for the elevator, Gabby right behind them.

"Aren't you just the meaning of calm," Anya raised an eyebrow at her dad.

"After four children and three births, I've learned a thing or two." Gabby snorted. Anya gasped a little and grabbed onto the bars in the elevator suddenly and let out a breath. "Contraction?"

Anya shook her head and closed her eyes. "No, but it's going to cause them. A lot of souls just entered Hel." Steve and Gabby glanced at each other frowning.


	49. Chapter 49

**A****/N: **  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Tony gasped and wheezed in a breath when the long staff caught his stomach, another one coming from behind. He fell to his knees and tried to catch his breath quickly. Tony looked up to see that Loki taking on a small army of Fire Giants, ice and frost going every which way right along with flashes of green and Loki's clones disappearing and reappearing everywhere. Tony would have thought it was weird that he could feel Loki when he used some of his spells, feel the power tingle inside of him, but it felt comforting. That way he knew that Loki was still alive. Tony wasn't exactly sure how a Master bond worked compared to the soul bond that they had before, but as long as he could feel Loki, he wouldn't worry too much about him.

Tony hit the ground on his stomach, his jaw bouncing down on the ground and he panted for a second. Gauton hadn't come quietly, but he had come quickly. Tony knew that it was bothering Loki how he had done it, but he had made it past Heimdall's gaze and was practically int he palace before they knew he was there. He had come with his army of Fire Giants, dark elves, and fae. Tony moaned and closed his eyes as he took another hit from one of the wooden staffs again in the back from one of Gauton's Fae.

Tony saw some boots walk over to him and knew who's they were. He chuckled a little and rolled to his side, spitting some blood over on Gauton's boots. "You must think you're pretty special there, huh sweetheart?" He winced when Gauton kicked his stomach. He might have just pushed some organs around.

The two Fae that had been using him as a pinanta picked him up and he saw Gauton's angry red eyes staring at him. He seemed to be brimming with power, but he wouldn't get any of Asgard's power, and that was pissing him off. With so many opposing him right now Gauton was at a disadvantage.

"Do you think you're clever?" Gauton asked him, grabbing Tony's chin tightly, jerking his head around. "I made both of you. I spent Years on him, he was my best made creation. You, you were an experiment, but oh the results. Without you I wouldn't have been able to take down both the Allfather and the Allmother, so really, you should congratulate yourself on that one." Tony growled and spit on his face this time. He made a noise when Gauton gripped his jaw then, squeezing.

"Now, to feel his power running through you. It was a shock to say the least when I felt my control slipping from you." Tony could see that the others seemed to ignore where they were. He wondered if it was a spell, or if Gauton's army was working to give them the 'privacy' that he wanted. "I hope it was hard, and I hope it was painful for you. Did you feel your sanity slipping from you at one point? Like your mind, your soul even, was being torn from you, ripped raw? I'd be interested to know how it felt for you."

Tony tried to move his jaw but Gauton wouldn't let go. He wondered how deep the connection between him and Loki was, if Loki knew that he was in trouble right now. Loki would obviously want to take Gauton down himself.

"There will be no Hel for you," Tony managed out when Gauton's fingers loosened a little to let him talk. "They'll take you down there, and they won't give you the option of having a cell, of having even the tiniest glimmer of hope that you'll escape. If I were down there, I know exactly how I'd make the rest of eternity for you." Gauton smirked a little at him and let go of his jaw.

"I'm very interested to hear how your mind works, Anthony Stark. Please, tell me what you would do. What would the deepest darkest parts of your mind think of?" Gauton reached his hands up towards Tony's temple and he winced a little. His mind felt fuzzy all of a sudden and he shook his head to the side. It felt like something was slowly filling his mind, slowing it down to a trudge.

He narrowed his eyes then blinked them open. This feeling was worse than the drunken stupors he would find himself many years ago. The room around him started to spin and he slumped in the arms of the ones holding him, his legs refusing to work, his arms no longer listening to him. He glanced up at Gauton who was laughing, but he couldn't hear it. Why couldn't he hear it? he felt his body hit the ground but he was unable to move it, unable to make it listen to him. Where was Loki? He needed Loki.

The two Fae suddenly fell back, daggers in their chests that disappeared, leaving them dead on the ground and Gauton turned, putting up a shield right away. "It's about time you showed up!" Gauton laughed and his hands started to glow. Loki was glaring at him, fists clenched, knuckles white underneath the green glow that surrounded them. The skin around his neck and one half of his face was blue, one eye red, both narrowed in rage that could practically be felt.

There was a ring of dead fae and elves around Loki and he started to walk towards Gauton. "A query before we start, if you'll indulge me one last one before we start what I assume to be our fight to the death." Loki knew he shouldn't have, but he stopped, he didn't say anything, and he waited. "Tell me, would you say that you'd be surprised if I said I left a surprise for your children back in your Midgard?" Loki froze, but he didn't let Gauton see it. "What is the term that's used? A sleeper agent? How old were your youngest now? Five? Well, that's quite a bit younger than when I took you, but I think it would be interesting to take them. It would be so much easier molding them-" Gauton stopped when a green spell sparked off of his barrier. "Well, that wasn't very polite. Maybe I'll just have them killed with the rest."

Loki put his hand against the barrier and it crackled under his hands and power. Gauton narrowed his eyes a little in curiosity, watching Loki's hand. The barrier started to crack then, lines spreading around like cracking glass. It shattered and Gauton quickly jumped back, over Tony's prone figure on the ground, Tony's glasses crunching beneath his boot on the floor. "Come and find me, you dark creature. I'll be here on Asgard, but our fight needs to be away from this. This is personal."

Loki growled loudly when he disappeared then dropped down immediately and ran his hands along Tony's face then neck. He gently turned him over onto his back, eyes sweeping back and forth over his body. There were cuts along his face, bruises that were going to look bad in a few hours, and he could sense that he had taken more internal damage than Loki was comfortable with. Tony's eyes were open but they weren't moving and he wasn't responsive under Loki's touch, but he could tell that he was alive.

He grit his teeth and ran his hand through Tony's hair. He needed to find Gauton, kill him before anything happened to his children. He had the time difference on his side, and maybe if he could work quickly enough he could get there before anything happened. Loki's hands glowed softly as he ran his hands down Tony's cheeks, and across his shoulders. He couldn't sense what Gauton had done, but he was certain that it wasn't killing Tony, and that was the only thing that he could be grateful for at the moment. He hated it, but he didn't have the time to help him. Gauton had planned all this, and it needed to end.

As Loki spread out his powers he could sense every body in Asgard. He closed his eyes and he saw the dimmed lights of the dead and dying, both enemy and ally, and the brighter lights of those that still fought. Thor and Balder were fighting together, Balder cycling through every weapon he got his hands on, Mjolnir swinging and flying through the air, both them a force to be reckoned with. He sat Kasir's form moving swiftly, not killing as many as his brothers, but he was working on sealing the souls in Hel quickly, ensuring that they did not return to make the fight never ending. Not far behind him was Heimdall. He had activated Asgard's defense system and all of their enemies were now trapped within the shield, inside the palace where the armies were. At least the people would be safe.

And then there was Gauton. His figure was unmoving, waiting for Loki to find him. Down by the weapons vault. Down where no one would be able to interrupt them. Loki opened his eyes and put his hands on Tony's shoulders. He'd take him down there with him, keep an eye on him. Gauton would be focused on him and Tony would be safe until he could help him.

The appeared near the vault and Loki slowly stood up, looking at Gauton. He walked past Tony and Gauton smirked a little and the two started to circle each other like prey. "Now this is where it gets fun." He flexed his fingers, bolts of power dancing along his fingertips. "Tell me, will you pull on energy from your Pet when you get weak? Do you know how to do that? How many pets have you had in the past?"

"I'd worry more about yourself and how you're going to die," Loki said quietly, deadly. He closed his hand into a fist and they moved.


	50. Chapter 50

**A****/N: **  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

"Come on!" Chris followed Eindride over to the elevator. "You invited the girl here?"

"Well, we were supposed to have a date tonight," Eindride shrugged a little. "I'm not about to be stupid and leave the Tower just for a date, specially since your parents and sister are gone at the hospital and we have no idea what's going on with them or in Asgard."

"Oh sure, you listen to everyone else, but when it comes to the important Pact. Of. Bachelorhood! it means nothing to you." Chris crossed his arms. "It was a Pact, do you know what that means?"

"Dude, I totally thought that you were going to be the one to break the pact first, I'm sorry." Eindride looked at him helplessly. Chris stared at him evenly for a second. "Alright, how can I make this up to you? Let's share secrets." Chris raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I know it sounds like some kind of teenage girl thing, but, we both gotta have something that's digging at us that we don't wanna tell anyone else yet. So we'll tell each other and keep our manly secrets."

"Now you're sounding a little ridiculous, but it's not a half bad idea," Chris admitted. "You first though, since you broke the pact first."

"First? Wait, ha! You did break the pact too!" Eindride smirked a little and did a little taunting dance that he obviously picked up from Tony. "Okay, okay. So, I haven't exactly told my parents, well Dad since he was the only one around, but I dropped my Mechanical Engineering major." Chris's jaw dropped a little. "I know!"

"Dude, that's like all you talked about in senior year! We totally built all that cool shit in your Dad's lab, even though it didn't work half the time." Chris blinked and studied him a little. "I think I'm a little afraid to here what you changed it to."

"Yeah, I'm afraid to tell Dad what I changed it to." Eindride rubbed the back of his head a little. "Art and Art History." Now Chris's jaw really dropped. "Dude, shut it. I had to take a humanities, art class, bullshit type class right? Those 101's you need for Gen Ed right?" Chris nodded. "Alright, so I'm in this art class, and it's a general overview and there's a painting section. Well turns out these hands can not only build awesome looking shit that doesn't work, but they're really good at painting."

"Alright, so you can paint, but why Art History?" Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Well, cause there are these people that travel the world, and the restore the greats, all these historic painting," Eindride started to explain, his hands getting into the conversation as he got more excited about it. "I mean, dude, I could one day find myself working in like the Sistine Chapel, or working on a DaVinci, ya know! Apparently I've got this amazing eye for mixing colors, at least that's what my Professor says, and she's head of the Art Department for the school."

"Holy shit, you are like super into this." Eindride nodded enthusiastically. "Alright, fair enough."

"Your turn," Eindride motioned to Chris, leaning back against the elevator wall. They had been standing in it closed to get some privacy before they went to get his girlfriend.

"Okay, this isn't really an embarrassment thing, cause, well, you'll see. It's one of those things that's just really hard to do." Chris's foot shuffled in the same way that Steve's did when he didn't want to tell Gabby something. "I mean, I can't exactly do it the same way that Emma did, even though that was kind of amazing." Eindride's eyes slowly widened a little as he kept talking, a slow smirk crossing his face. "Agh, I hate that face. Stop it, wipe it off your face please."

"Oh man! Is that how your broke the pact?! Dude, you gotta give details, not full in depth detail, cause ick, I'm not about to spill about my sex life yet and-" Chris quickly slapped his hand over Eindride's mouth.

"Oh my god, shut up now." Eindride blinked but nodded and Chris slowly removed his hand. "There hasn't even been any sex yet. It just kind of... happened."

"What, did your mouth just happen to fall onto another dude's?" Eindride raised an eyebrow. Chris snorted. "Details? Please? Pretty please?"

"Alright, so I'm in one of my pre-med classes, and we're getting told that we're gonna have to get CPR certified-" Christ started, until he was cut off.

"And some dude practiced on you?" Chris put his hand over his mouth again.

"Shut up." Eindride nodded but Chris didn't remove his hand until it was licked. "Shit, gross! Anyway, no, we didn't practice on each other. That's like way too cliche. Now just shut up until I'm done." Eindride nodded. "So anyway, I ask this guy who I sit next to in class, Alex, if he knows when the CPR classes are, and he's got all this info at the ready, and says he's taking one of the classes like, the next week, and that there's still a few opening if I wanted to get it over with." Chris could see Eindride just dying to making some comments. "I go ahead and sign up the class, and it's like held in some middle school gym or something."

"How long ago was this?" Chris wouldn't fault him for interrupting with that question.

"About 6 weeks ago," Chris told him. "So there's a few more people than the instructor had dummies for, so a few of us gotta pair up to practice on the same dummy, and Alex and I just kind of naturally do it, since we already have a pre-med class together. Now, this part is kind of hard to explain, because it was all feelings and shit."

"You are a regular Shakespeare, Christopher." Eindride grinned at the unamused face Chris shot him.

"Anyway, we're practicing on these dummies, and I'm doing the chest compressions, well trying to, and Alex kind of leans in and moves my hands to a better position, and I shit you not, fucking electricity." Chris put his hands out for emphasis. "Weirdest fucking thing I've felt in a while, and I can tell he felt it too, cause he just kind stands there for a second too long. So when the class is over we both kind linger and walk out together and he asks if I wanna get a coffee before heading back to the dorms, and you know I live on caffeine." Endride snorted. "I'm telling ya, one thing led to another, we're back at my dorm with coffee, a movie and couch full of us."

"And this happened 6 weeks ago?" Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Well, the class was 4 weeks ago, but we've kind of been dating since then." Chris admitted, putting his hands in his pocket. "I think shit might be getting serious."

"Hell, it must be if you're shuffling around like your dad does," Eindride looked at him. "Alright, there's only solution for this. I have to meet this guy."

"Hell no!" Chris leaned over and pressed the button to start the elevator moving. "I just said I think I was getting serious with this guy. I'm not about to let you show up and muck it up."

"What?! Come on! My parents are like the poster children for gay relationships, and Emma had dogs with her girlfriend! Which, honestly is about as far as she'll ever get for children. She loves spoiling them, but doesn't actually want them." Chris raised an eyebrow and Eindride shrugged. "Yeah, I know. It's up to Kaia now to give them grandchildren first. But, not my point."

"You're capable of functioning conversations?" Chris asked.

"Oh ha ha, very funny. My Point," he said looking at Chris as he smirked, "is that i should totally meet him, because I'm the best candidate. If things are getting serious you wanna show him that you Are serious about it. Have him meet some family, show him that you're not scared, or ashamed, or whatever, of you two. Start with me and we'll slowly break it in to the family until we've worked up to your parents."

Chris blinked a little as the elevator stopped and opened to the parking garage. "That actually made sense. I must be losing my mind." Eindride grinned.

"Anders!" They both turned to see a dark haired girl walking over to them. She was tall with her heels on, had on a pair of jeans with a long sleeve shirt and vest on, her long hair pulled back.

"Hey," Eindride grinned and walked out to meet him, kissing her lightly. "Glad you found it alright."

"Like I could miss this big place," she smiled and let him lead her back to the elevator.

"Chris, this is Lulu, Lu, this is my cousin Chris." He made the short intros as the doors shut.

"I'm thinking maybe I dipped into the wrong end of the family?" She chuckled a little. Chris put out his hand and she shook it. Chris suddenly gasped, his eyes rolling up and he dropped to the ground.

"Shit! Chris!" Eindride moved to grab him but Lulu grabbed his arm and pushed him up against the elevator wall, her eyes glowing a dark red. "What the-" he took a deep breath when she placed a hand on his chest.

"Be a dear and take me to the rest of your siblings." She grinned when he gasped a little, his eyes flashing red once before he relaxed, eyes returning back to green. "Sorry baby, but I was just waiting until the right moment. Maybe if you survive this I can take you as my Pet, maybe Gauton would allow that." She kissed his cheek as the elevator reached the floor and she walked out with him, looping her arm with his, the doors closing on Chris. "Let's find your older siblings first." Lulu smiled when he started walking down the hall. When they were gone Clint dropped down the air ducts and took off in the opposite direction.

He found Lee and Bruce in the living room and grabbed their arms. "We've got a major problem," he said as he pulled them up from the couch. "Someone managed to in with Anders, and it doesn't look like he's in control of himself."

"Something to do with Tony and Loki you think?" Bruce frowned a little, letting Clint pull them down the hall towards the bedrooms.

"Hell yes. She's going after the kids, so you two should grab the twins, Bry and Andrew, get to the elevator and get out." Clint told them.

"And what are you going to do?" Lee frowned as Bruce went to grab Andrew from the first bedroom.

"Give you the distraction you need if she comes back. I know, don't worry, I won't get killed." He kissed her quickly. "It would kill Tony and Loki if anything happened to those boys, and I'm gonna try and help the others as best I can. Chris is unconscious in the elevator, so I don't think she's after Steve's kids, but better safe than sorry." Lee nodded a little and headed for the bedroom with the twins as Bruce came out with Andrew in one arm and Bry next to him.

"Tony's got a bunker type thing down in the basement of the Tower," Bruce said and Clint nodded. "Last I heard, when he built it, not even Loki could get inside of it. Runes carved inside of the insulation."

"Not bad," Clint nodded. "It'll do." They walked over and Lee came out holding the twins hands. He kissed her quickly and they headed back down the hall. "I'll keep the way clear, you keep them safe." Lee nodded and they headed for the elevator.

Clint took out his shooting glove and slipped it on his hand and headed for the hidden closet Tony kept in the little elevator lobby. "Steve sure picked a hell of a time to disappear on me." He muttered as he pulled out his bow, snapping it open.


	51. Chapter 51

**A****/N: **  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Loki elbowed Gauton from behind and turned to stab at him with a dagger. Gaunton brought his arm down on Loki's wrist and grabbed his arm, spinning him back and around. Loki rolled with the spin, turning his feet and ducked down to miss a spell thrown at him. They both stood there trying to catch their breaths, staring at each other. They had been fighting for too long, Loki had things to do but they were too evenly matched.

"You're going to tire out before I will," Gauton taunted, smiling. "You can give in now and I'll let you spend your last few moments with your family."

"Are you underestimating people again? I thought you would have learned from that lesson by now," Loki pushed himself up. Gauton didn't move and the air rippled behind him.

"I think it's you underestimating me, now." Loki frowned as he recognized it as a portal. He watched carefully as Kaia and Emma stumbled through then stopped looking around. A woman stepped through with Eindride a little more smoothly, and Gauton smirked. "As I was saying, you can give in now."

Eindride's eyes flashed a little before he blinked and wobbled to his knees. Kaia caught him first and Emma stood in front of them, hands glowing. "I was unable to get the youngest," the woman said quietly to Gauton. He merely grunted a little, not looking away from Loki.

"You are so not worth breaking the Pact for," Eindride muttered.

"Do you want the know the only thing you've done?" Loki asked Gauton calmly. "You've made me angry, and now I'm going to finish this faster." He moved, clones appearing around him, all walking towards Gauton. He used them to jump from position to position, making his way over the side. He watched as a sword appeared in Gautons and he started slashing at the clones quickly.

Lulu started to back up but moved right into Loki's arms. He put his hand over her mouth and dropped her to the ground unconscious before moving towards the Fae who turned at the last second and slashed at him. He jumped back but not before the blade caught his cheek.

"She was expendable," Gauton shrugged as they started to circle each other again. Kaia and Emma had helped Eindride move and they were surrounding Tony, who hadn't moved. A short sword appeared in Loki's hand and he held it, blade flat against his arm, using Frigga's technique. Now that he knew the twins were safe, and the other three were here he felt a little bit better.

Gauton moved first, not having nearly as much patience as Loki. Loki lifted the blade and pushed back, spinning to land a hit with his fist on Gauton's side. The Fae grunted and grabbed Loki's arm quickly and twisted Loki's arm, forcing him to bend his knees and down. Gauton stabbed down at Loki's neck but he dissipated in a green glow and Loki was at his back, throwing his arm into his spine.

Gauton pitched forward and gasped before rolling up, slashing the sword out and catching one of Loki's shins. He hissed and jumped back and Gauton pressed his advantage. He moved and slammed Loki into one of the pillars by the vault doors. Loki swung out with the sword but Gauton moved and grabbed his wrist, twisting it back and shoving the sword through Loki's shoulder, pinning him to the pillar.

"Dad!" Loki heard the shouts as his eyes widened and he looked down at the sword. Gauton took a step back, winded and he flexed his fingers.

"I Made you," he hissed at the trickster. "I know your magic, I know how you fight, I know everything about you." Loki suddenly threw a dagger at him but Gauton caught it and threw it back. Loki caught the shout of pain in his throat when it hit the hand that threw it. Gauton moved closer to him and put his hands on Loki's temples. "And now, I'm going to undo you, strand by strand, until you fall. There will be no coming back from this."

Loki's eyes widened and he gasped when he felt Gauton's power. Green fought against dark red and Loki swore he saw a different red trying to fight in. He was back in Hel, Gauton stabbing him from behind and he could feel it all over again. Gauton was going to make him relive everything as he slowly ripped his mind could see Laufey, killing him over and over again, Guaton and Lanhr, reducing him to feeling like an animal on a leash waiting for their command. As he looked down though his hands seemed to change, less pale for a second, younger looking, but then it was gone.

He was fighting Lanhr, he screamed he felt his hand getting crushed as it was forced into the Tear again. The scream echoed though, sounding like three. His back arched when suddenly golden cuffs were around his wrist, cutting him off from his magic suddenly and painfully as he had tried to help Tony escaped from Lanhr. He felt the cold of the Jotun prison and tried to brace himself. If he heard Eindride's cries as a babe again he didn't know if he would be able to fight it.

Everything suddenly stopped and his eyes shot open. He sagged a little and barely felt the pain of the sword pulling on his shoulder. He knew that he was panting, heart hammering in his chest but he saw Gauton on the ground, and Eindride by him. Emma had run over and had put Eindride's head in her lap as he tried to catch his breath, tremors running through his body every so often.

Kaia put a hand on Loki's good shoulder and looked him in the eye. "I'm gonna pull this out, there's not a lot of time." He noticed that her hands were glowing a pale red and she gripped the hilt of the sword in his shoulder. He nodded and regained his footing as best he could as she quickly pulled it out. Loki grabbed it with his good hand and let Kaia pull out the dagger. He stumbled forward a little but used to the momentum to bring him closer to Gauton.

The Fae was anting, eyes wide, on the ground. Loki kicked his side hard, rolling him on the ground a couple of times. He muttered something under his breath and his sword started to glow. Loki stabbed the sword down to impale Gauton. He gasped and grabbed at the sword but it didn't move. "You won't die by that sword, as much as I want you too," Loki said breathlessly. "It will hold you there until you have come to be collected. There will be no Hel for you."

Loki turned to head back over to his family when his knee gave out from the pain of the wound on his shin. Kaia leaped forward and caught him quickly, helping him down to sit on the ground. "What happened to Eindride?"

"He used his powers," Kaia told him and glanced over at Emma and Eindride. "Whatever Gauton was doing to you he made sure that Gauton would feel it too..." She left out that Eindride would experience as well.

"I can help him," Loki said quietly as he sagged a little in his spot. "Tony," he looked over. "I have to help him, too. I have to-"

"You're not strong enough," Kaia put a hand on his arm. They heard heavy footsteps running towards them. Kasir ran past them and over to Gauton. "You should hurry back to Midgard when your done Kasir." He nodded a little and grabbed the Fae's arm, the sword dropping to the ground when they disappeared.

Loki let out a breath and he slumped into Kaia's arms, the past couple days catching up with him. There was a slight ringing in his ears as he started to close his eyes. He thought he smiled slightly when he felt something small warm up inside of him. Tony was going to be alright.


	52. Chapter 52

**A****/N: **  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

Kasir walked into the hospital room and Gabby glanced over, making a face at the mess that he was. "See, what did I tell you? They come in covered in whatever work they were doing." Anya chuckled from the bed, looking exhausted. Gabby was sitting on one side of the bed, Steve on the other, looking down at the bundle in his arms. "Although the difference is he's a little later than Steve usually is."

Kasir waved his hand over his face and all the blood and grime disappeared. He still sported his battle wounds, but he was at least clean. "I missed it?"

"Only by about twenty minutes," Steve spoke up. Kasir walked over and kissed Anya lightly, looking over at the baby in his arms. "It's a little girl, perfectly healthy." Kasir grinned and Anya took his hand. "You now have to wait until I'm done holding her."

"Steve," Gabby poked his shoulder. "You'll get to hold her later, he's the new father." Anya smiled watching them.

Steve got up and walked over to Kasir and waited for the man to shake his nerves out. He gently took his daughter from Steve's arms and let out a breath, smiling. She blinked up at him, eyes gold like his against her mocha colors skin. He slowly sat down in the empty chair next to the bed by Anya.

"She's going to be a Seer," Kasir smiled, unable to look away from the little girl. "She's going to be as beautiful as her mother though."

"Last time you used flattery like that, this happened," Anya snorted a little. "Do you need to go back? I felt when the fighting stopped."

Kasir shook his head. "No, we'll be fine to stay here for a little bit." He looked up at her and smiled slightly as she rubbed his arm. "Everything is being handled right now, I'm fairly sure."

"You're not inspiring confidence," Gabby frowned. "What happened?" 

* * *

Loki took a breath in through his nose as he gently woke up. Fingers were running through his hair softly and he turned his head a little. He hummed a little and slowly opened his eyes. Tony was next to him and he smiled a little.

"Hey Sleeping beauty," Tony said softly. "Been waiting to see those sweet greens again." Loki swallowed and reached up to rub his cheek then frowned when he saw the bandage on his hand. "Yeah, you're still sporting those bandages, even though you've been asleep for three days."

Loki blinked then tried to sit up and groaned. "Slow down, your shoulder is probably killing you right now, and you're probably all sore."

"How did they find us so quickly?" Loki asked, voice rough. "After the fight, they couldn't have shown up so quickly."

"Now don't freak out, but I can answer that one." Loki looked at him and blinked. Tony moved in his chair a little to show Tomas and Sander sleeping in the bed behind him. "I guess someone went for them at the Tower, but Bruce, Clint and Lee got them out. They got scared and had grabbed onto the pendants, and it actually brought them here to Asgard." Loki sat up a little and Tony put his hands on his arms. "Hey, it's okay, they don't show up in the middle of a battlefield. Heimdall found them first, and I'm sure that freaked them out a little, but they helped the others find us. They're okay though, they're fine."

Loki let out a breath and relaxed against the pillows again. He looked around and spotted Eindride a couple beds away talking to Chris who sitting at the edge of the bed. "He woke up yesterday, a little shaken and quiet. The girls told me what he did." Loki looked at Tony. "How far back did it go? He did it to me once, too."

Loki licked his lips a little and Tony took his hand. "Back to right after he was born," he said quietly. "I can only imagine that it was him that stopped it."

"I guess, I was out of it," Tony shrugged a little.

"What about everyone else?" Loki looked at Tony. He smiled a little and nodded his head down the other way. Loki looked over and saw Steve and Heimdall crowded around Kasir, a bundled baby in his arms. Gabby was sitting with Anya while they watched, Andrew in Gabby's lap, Bry on the closest bed.

"Whenever Kasir looks like he's about to put the baby down, Steve is there. He's a proud Granpa, that's for sure." Tony snorted a little as they watched. "And Heimdall has just gotten back from resetting the defenses, and Gabby told him to hover if he wants a chance of holding her before Steve grabs her."

"It is sometimes amazing that he leads one of the most feared groups of heroes," Loki shook his head a little.

"Gives him complexity, and character," Tony snorted. He rubbed Loki's hand a little as they sat in a soft silence. "So, there's still a lot that needs to be done. Kasir said he was going to wait until you were awake to officially deal with Gauton."

"Where is he now?" Loki raised an eyebrow.

"Trapped in a time loop at the moment, no chance of escape." Loki nodded at Tony's words. "And we'll have to go back to Jotunheim for a bit I would assume, and Thor and Balder were waiting for you to wake up. Tonight will be the funeral," Tony said quietly. Loki nodded a little more sedately, not letting go of Tony's hand. He looked at Tony and saw him playing with the edges of Loki's blanket with his other hand. Loki leaned over and put his forehead against Tony's, gently dropping a kiss along his nose.

Chris had managed to get Eindride to take a short walk with him outside of the Healer's hall, to get him to stretch his legs and to avoid Heimdall and Steve hovering over the new baby. "Have you held her yet?" Eindride asked his cousin. "It's your first niece."

"Are you kidding? With Dad around? No one gets to hold her." Eindride snorted. "Little Iria is going to be so spoiled with attention." Chris watched his cousin a little as they walked. "So, how are you feeling now?"

"Just a little tired," he shrugged a little. He saw the way Chris looked at him. "My powers are a pain sometimes, that's all."

"Yeah, I figured that's what happened. Listen, I can't even imagine what went down, and what you saw, but you gotta know that what you did, it saved a lot of people, including your dads." Eindride nodded, smiling a little. "And-"

"Chris!" They both stopped and turned at the voice that called out. Eindride's eyes went up in surprise when someone suddenly slammed into Chris, an arm hugging him and a mouth kissing him suddenly. "What are you doing here?"

Chris blinked and waited for his brain to catch up to what just happened. "Alex?"

"Oh, this just got extremely interesting," Eindride grinned. "You're right Chris, coming out for this walk is really helping me feel better." They were both able to look at Alex and saw that he was dressed in the non-duty clothes given to the guards. He had a few healing cuts on his cheek. Eindride was able to get a good first look at the man that Chris had been talking about. He was about the same height as Chris and had sandy brown hair that went well with Chris's lighter blonde, and had stormy teal colored eyes. Eindride nodded a little, seeing the physical appeal of the man.

Alex turned to see Eindride and blinked then pulled one arm away from Chris and bowed a little. "Forgive me, your Highness, I did not see you there at first."

"Oh ew, titles, no thank you," Eindride shook his hand a little. "I spend most of my time on Midgard and I'm not royalty down there, so please be casual with me."

"What exactly are You doing here?" Chris asked as he brushed at the skin under the cuts, drawing Alex's attention back to them. "Were you here fighting?"

"Yes, I am part of the Guard here," Alex nodded, admitting. "I would have told you had I known that you knew the royal family, or about Asgard in general. The King had given me leave to pursue studies on Midgard, and that I only need to report back once a year, or in emergencies." Alex took his hand and rubbed his thumb a little. "You still haven't answered my question."

Eindride was grinning and Chris wanted nothing but to shove him. "Well, I guess it'll make a little awkward when I say this douche here," he jabbed his other thumb towards Eindride who frowned dramatically at the name, "is my cousin."

"Oo! Oo! Can I tell him!" Chris let out a long sigh and Eindride didn't wait. "Yes, we're cousins, awesome cousins, and his Uncles are my Dads, Tony Stark and Loki, and his grandfather is Balder, and his Dad is Steve Rogers, Captain America, and his mom is Gabby. This is exciting now."

Alex looked at Chris with wide eyes. "You're of the royal family as well?"

"You know, it really shouldn't be as hard as it is to spot an Asgardian anymore, I feel like we should have known this," Chris told him. "Yeah, I guess I'm technically royal, but luckily I'll never see any throne. Like Anders, I'm pretty good with chilling down on earth, very casual like."

"This is really surprising to say the least." Eindride could hear Alex meld back into the more relaxed earth tone, much less formal that the Asgardian tones. Chris snorted a little and smiled Alex. He could also see the way that Chris seemed to light up a little around him.

"There you are," another voice called out and Eindride bit back a sigh. They were never going to walk again. "I thought that you two would want a chance at holding Iria." Gabby walked over to them and blinked when she saw how close Chris and Alex were. "Kasir and Anya managed to get her to fall asleep, and I forbid your father from holding her again until we get home. Hello." She faced Alex with a smile and a sleeping baby.

Alex bowed at the waist. He went to talk and both Chris and Eindride shook their heads. "Apparently I should not formally address you by your title, but I'm Alexi."

"Flattery is the best way to get on a woman's side, Alexi, and don't let these two tell you otherwise." She smiled at him then looked at Chris and Eindride. "You let him flatter your mother." Chris jaw had dropped a little and Eindride took a step back. "Now, here's your niece." Chris blinked a little and took her gently, not waking her up.

Alex moved a little to Chris's side to look down at the sleeping infant. Gabby caught the way that he glanced at Chris's face and tilted her head a little then glanced over at Eindride. He pressed his lips together, taking another step back from his Aunt. She crooked a finger at him to have him come closer and he just shook his head.

"Mom?" They looked over and saw Chris and Alex both watching them, attention off of the baby. "What are you doing?" She put her hand down. "You and Dad are so weird."

"You came out relatively normal," Alex commented and Chris snorted.

"My twin sister is married to Heimdall's son, and they both rule over Helheim," he said glancing back at Alex, who just blinked. "And she didn't tell us she was pregnant until she was already in labor."

"Normal is a relative term," Eindride commented.


	53. Chapter 53

**A****/N: Sadness, fluff, drama! The last chapter has it all! Obviously there is a sequel. I hope you like my cliffhanger! *cackles***  


**The Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, or anything of the like. Just the thoughts inside my head. And taking some personal freedoms with mythology and lore.**

* * *

All of Asgard had gathered had gathered along the waters path as the boats of the dead sailed into the night, pyres burning. Loki stood next to Balder and they stood slightly behind Thor. Tony wasn't far away and Loki could feel it. He could also feel the overwhelming sense of guilt coming from him.

He took Tony's arm as everyone gathered in the great halls for a celebration of remembrance. "You still feel guilt," he said quietly. Tony didn't say anything and Loki diverted their path to somewhere more private. "You can't feel that guilt, love."

Tony rolled his eyes over to look at Loki when he used the pet name. "And how can't I? I was the distraction that got them both killed, that let him bring an army here. If I hadn't of been there he would still be scrambling without a plan."

"You can have JARVIS run the scenarios when we get home, but I can tell you what would have happened," Loki turned Tony to face him. "If you hadn't of been there he would have gotten all the power of Alfheim. He would left Jotunheim, and without your clue I wouldn't have known where he was going next. Everyone might still be trapped there, if he didn't decide to kill them, and then we wouldn't have been ready for him here in Asgard." Tony watched him and let out a little breath. "By the time he got to Helheim, Anya would still be there and about to have her child, and Kasir would have used his powers to protect them instead of the realm, leaving Midgard open to his powers. There's no way I would have been able to hold Jotunheim from him at that point."

Loki ran his hand along Tony's neck softly, up to his cheek. "While you may think that you were at fault for all the bad that's happened, you are also central to all the bad that was averted, and that's far more important right now." Tony nodded a little, letting his head lean into Loki's touch. "What's more important, and more selfish, is that I have you by my side again, and I know that you're safe."

There was the soft clearing of a throat behind them and Loki turned a little and they looked to see Eindride standing there. "Um, they were just wondering where you had went," he said softly, gesturing back to the hall. "I'll tell them you'll be there in a minute then?"

Tony gestured for him to come over and Eindride stood there for a second before walking over. Tony lifted an arm to pull him over and Eindride side stepped out of instinct. Both men blinked. "Sorry, uh, just, I've been really good about not touching anyone right now. Just in case of course. I just don't feel like I have control over my powers yet..."

"This family," Loki muttered a little before he took Tony's hand and grabbed Eindride's. He gasped a little before he was thrown into both Tony and Loki's memories. He saw Tony holding him for the first time as a baby, saw them both smiling and laughing. He saw Kaia walking with Tony at their wedding, and saw Loki walking with Kaia at her own wedding. He saw through Tony's eyes as Loki grabbed onto Emma when she was four, him still a baby, the way Loki's eyes lit up when she giggled, and he saw through Loki's eyes as he watched Tony playing with both him and Emma when they were a little older. He saw when they argued over something stupid for their bedroom, and how the argument dissolved when Tony threw a pillow at Loki and Loki tackled him to the ground.

Eindride took a breath when Loki let go and blinked, feeling his eyes a little wet. Tony was a little disoriented as well but Loki was looking at him. "All that hurt and pain will never compare to all the love and happiness that we've had. We've had far more of that to be able push back the bad times." Loki wrapped an arm around their son and pulled him into his chest. "Thank you."

Eindride blinked a little. "For what?"

"For saving my life." Eindride pulled back a little to look at Loki. "I've made several mistakes, most of them happening this past week, but if it wasn't for you at that moment, I wouldn't have made it out from that." Tony hugged Eindride and Loki from behind, pushing them together. "Of course, that means you've doomed me back to a lifetime of this." Eindride snorted and smiled. 

* * *

Tony had his jacket over his arm as he walked into the living room where there were too many people gathered. Chris and Eindride were fighting for space in the oversized chair, Gabby and Steve were sitting on the couch, Bry in school and little Andrew down for his nap. Clint and Lee were sharing the loveseat, back to back as Lee read a book and Clint flicked paper arrows at Chris and Eindride. Kaia and Nathan had gone out to get some lunch for everyone and Emma was with them getting drinks.

"Alright, so I don't think it should take too long," Tony said as he adjusted the cuffs on his shirt. "Time difference and all, and there really is no trial, just the slap on the wrist, goodbye forever part." He slipped his jacket on as Loki walked out in his green and gold Asgardian outfit. "We'll probably be back in time for lunch. No one had better touch my sandwich."

"And now everyone is going to spit on it," Loki commented, rolling his eyes. "Ready?"

"Have fun, don't stay up to late, don't get into any trouble, and- yess!" Clint pumped his arm when he nailed Chris in the forehead with a paper football. Lee stole the last paper from his hand and he pouted.

"Right, let's go." Tony looped arms with Loki. "Before these people get any weirder." Loki smiled a little and they disappeared.

Kasir and Anya were waiting for them in Hel, just inside the mansion they had built a few years ago. "She was going to try and stay awake to see her uncles, but she didn't quite make it," Anya smiled when they showed up.

"It's not as if we won't see her as she grows up," Tony chuckled a little.

Kasir kissed her cheek and rubbed Iria's hand a little. "You can go and put her down to sleep, we won't be long." She smiled and nodded before heading up the stairs. "Well, shall we get this over with?" Loki nodded and Tony put a hand on his back and they followed Kasir.

They walked out of the back of the mansion and Kasir brought up a wall of fog before dropping it to reveal a door. He opened it and they all walked through. Tony let a shiver run down his back as the temperature dropped through the door. It was dark and quiet, but Tony felt like it would still be too kind for Gauton.

There was a flash of dark light and Gauton was standing in front of them, hands and ankles chained, connected to a metal band around his waist and neck. There were bags under his eyes, his skin a little too pale, and he looked skinnier.

"Did a time loop not agree with you?" Tony sneared at him a little and Gauton just let out a puff of air through his nose.

"Gauton of the Fae, you're here to hear of your decided punishment," Kasir faced the man, back straight, voice steady and low. "For your escape from the land of the dead, your plots of those of the living, and your torture and resulting deaths of those you attacked, you are sentenced to Niffleheim." Gauton raised his eyes brows a little. "You will be locked in the lowest levels, where you will forever be trapped inside all the sins that you have committed, reliving them all as each and every victim and person you affected, one at a time."

"That should take, what? Two hundred lifetimes?" Gauton raised an eyebrow.

"I forgot to mention that you'll have to do it 500 times," Kasir smirked a little and Gauton's face dropped slightly. "And then, there will be a hearing with the Queen and I, and then we will decide whether or not to have you repeat it all a second time, or if we'll just leave you in our own private section of the Void, where not even the Norns can reach you."

"You've really put some thought behind this, haven't you? Really gaining a knack for this ruling the dead aren't you?" Kasir didn't reacted visibly to his words. "But this is the fun part, now you're learning about the torture part of the job. Fun isn't it?"

"You're not going to accomplish anything," Loki told him evenly. "You're last act will be to disappear with only the three of us here, never to be heard from again."

"You," Gauton lifted his hands, making the chains clang together and walked closer to Loki and Tony. "You two I will miss the most. I would really like to be there when the connection between you two eventually decays, because I'm sure it will." He smirked a little at then and put his hands on top of one of Loki's. Loki sneered and pulled his hand away from him.

A portal shimmered into existence behind Gauton and two hooded guards stepped through, grabbing his arms and pulling him back. "Your sentence has been passed, and it starts immediately." They watched as he was pulled through the portal, smirking the whole way before disappearing. Tony let out a breath and he felt Loki relax minutely under his hand.

"Let's get home, yeah?" Loki nodded at his words. 

* * *

"How can you not like pickles?" Tony exclaimed as he stared at the twins. They had pulled out all the pickles on their subs and Tony was astounded.

"They're too sour!" Tomas told him.

"That's why you eat them with tomatoes," Tony told them and took one of the pickles, popping it in his mouth. The two boys made a face as they watched him. "The tomato is a magical fruit when put on a sandwich."

Loki sat next to Gabby and smiled as he watched Tony with Tomas and Sander. "You know it's going to get worse right?" He glanced over at Gabby who was smirking. "You thought it was bad when Chris came over and he and Eindride got into trouble? Well now you have a Chris and Eindride as brothers." Loki smeared some dressing on her nose and she laughed.

"How dare you curse me like that, I am still your elder." Loki took a bite of his sub. "I hope you have another set of twins." Gabby gasped and turned to face Loki fully, who just smirked. "The same gender, so they look exactly the same."

"Stop that, you have more power than me, it'll happen!" Loki just cackled.

"You sure about this?" Eindride looked at Chris as they walked over to where their parents were. "I mean, I'm all for it, but this is like a huge step."

"I'm positive. Plus," Chris shrugged a little, "it's not like Mom hasn't already figured it out." They walked over and Loki and Gabby glanced up at them, the twins still being grossed out by Tony behind them. "Uncle Loki, can I have someone come over to join us? I thought it'd be polite to ask before he showed up." Eindride covered his mouth to hide his grin.

"When is he due to show up?" Loki raised an eyebrow. The elevator opened a second later.

"About two seconds from now?" Chris grinned and Gabby rolled her eyes.

Loki turned to look at her. "I hope they're both boys, and they're exactly like him." Her jaw dropped.

"Where's Dad?" Chris looked around.

"Oh, are you finally going to tell us something?" Gabby smirked up at him and leaned her head on her folded hands. "Will we need to buy an extra present at Christmas this year?"

"Oh my god, mom!" Chris covered his face. "I'm 22! You shouldn't be able to embarrass me like this anymore."

"Oh honey, it's a gift, and it'll never go away," she grinned. Loki smirked beside her.

"You've grown up, little Potts."

"Thank you," she grinned at Loki then turned back towards the living room. "Steve! Oh love of my life! Please come here!" Chris dropped his head as Alex walked over behind him.

"No," Chris turned to look at him. At this point Eindride was covering his face from laughter. "You should just turn around and leave now, this is only going to get worse." Alex scrunched his brow together in confusion. "Seriously, my parents in that kind of mood."

"Hmmm, what can I do for my lady?" Steve asked as he walked in the room, resting his arms on her shoulders shoulder form behind and leaning over her head to drop a light kiss on her lips. "You know I love it when you flatter me." Even Loki was having a hard time not laughing out loud, now."

"Down boy, I'm already pregnant." She grinned when Chris moaned loudly.

"Oh god, make it end!"

"Christopher!" Steve held his arms out. "My first born son!" Alex blinked, his mouth open a little at Gabby and Steve. "Have you made another friend other than Anders?"

"Oi," Eindride said as he peeked his eye through his fingers.

"No, I'm not here," Chris tried to push Alex away from them. "He was just dropping off some class work that I missed."

"Classwork that you both missed because he was up in Asgard too?" Steve asked, raising an eyebrow, smirking.

"Watch that sass," Gabby smirked and pinched his hip. "We're in company."

"Okay, okay," Steve laughed and put his hands up in surrender. "We'll be serious now, promise."

"Yes, and when captain America gives a promise, he means it," Eindride snickered through his hands.

Alex looked at Chris, biting his lip as he smiled, trying not to laugh. Chris looked at him and let out a long suffering sigh. He turned around and Alex took his hands, holding them behind his back a little. "Alright, fine. But only if you keep it serious, cause I'm serious, for once in my life." Gabby put her hands up too. "This is Alex, Alexi, whatever, I call him Alex cause I like it. Sounds less Russian or something."

"We have to be serious, but you don't?" Gabby wondered.

"Yes, because I'm the nervous one," Chris shot back and both his parents just smiled softly. "So like I was saying, we're both pre-med, we have classes together, and now we study together, and stuff, and we're going out, and it's serious to me, and I assume serious to him, cause it's been like a month, and I'm rambling, but I don't really care."

"You were in fact, one long run on sentence," Loki confirmed, nodding.

Steve reached over and offered his hand to Alex who accepted and shook it. "Hi, Steve Rogers, Chris's dad. Nice to meet you in a more relaxed setting."

"Bless you for sating our hyperactive son," Gabby said to him and Alex chuckled a little. "Really, we were a little worried about the Pact of Bachelorhood." Chris stared at his parents then looked at Alex who just shrugged a little. "Are we allowed to stop being serious now?" Chris nodded a little and she leaned up and pinched his cheeks. "My little boy is all grown up and dating, I'm so proud!"

"Ach! Get off!" He tried to pull away and Eindride could keep it back anymore, he started cackled, falling back against the counter. Alex laughed and wrapped an arm around Chris's waist to pull him back a little, and into his chest. They had caught the attention of Tony and the twins, and they were giggling.

"Oh you think that's funny do you?" Tony looked at them and they nodded. "Well, I think this is funny!" He grabbed them and pulled them into his lap, tickling their sides. They squealed loudly and tried to wiggle away.

Loki laughed and missed the glowing fleck that dropped from his hand. It floated down to the ground, in the middle of the group gathered. As it hit the ground it stuck and let out a bright flash. Loki frowned and stood up and it pulled the attention of the others. Steve and Alex had both stepped forward from instinct and Tony pulled the boys closer to his body. A wind started to whip through the room as a circle of dark red light appeared on the ground, shotting up into the ceiling. Tony looked at Loki as they both recognized the color.

There was a flash and Chris and Eindride were no longer in the room. Tony's eyes widened and he started to back away, the boys holding onto his hands. Another flash and they were gone. "Tony!" Loki went to mover to where they were and Gabby grabbed his arm. Steve and Alex were suddenly gone and Loki grabbed Gabby's hand as uncertainty filled his chest. One more flash and Loki was forced to cover his eyes. When he looked around they were no longer inside the Tower, but Gabby was still holding his hand.

"Uncle Loki?" She asked quietly as they looked around. They were in an alley between two buildings. When they walked out to the sidewalk it looks like they were still in New York, the same traffic, the same loud buzz of people talking, but when they looked around the billboards and stores were different. Something was very wrong. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," she murmured as they looked around.

Loki took a breath and tried to reach his magic out and frowned a little. Everything felt different, too different. He reached deeper inside, trying to tap into Tony's bond, but there was no response. "I don't think we're in the same Universe." Gabby looked at him with wide eyes. Loki pulled her closer to him. "Something is very wrong."


End file.
